Never has the Premier League been crazier. Nottingham Forest is third, Bournemouth is fifth, and defending champions Manchester City are desperately fighting for a spot in the Champions League. Manchester United sits in 15th, Tottenham in 13th… Arsenal won’t win the title, dropping points whenever Liverpool doesn’t win.However, injuries have decimated Mikel Arteta’s squad. Regardless, the Reds are eyeing the title, with Anfield right around the corner. Arne Slot has continued walking the path Jurgen Klopp paved, not complaining or asking for signings that never came. He rolled up his sleeves and has brought his team to the brink of the title in his debut season at the helm.Take a Bow(en) and say goodbye to Arsenal’s title hopesLiverpool has faltered this month, drawing twice in away games—against city rivals Everton at Goodison Park and, just four days ago, against Aston Villa in Birmingham. However, following Arsenal’s shock loss at home to West Ham (0-1), Liverpool still holds an impressive eight-point lead with 12 matches to go.The Reds were unexpectedly knocked out of the FA Cup by Plymouth, but they will play the League Cup final against Newcastle next month at Wembley, and in the Champions League Round of 16, they’ll face Paris Saint-Germain.What a draw! Liverpool vs PSG, Real against AtleticoToday, Liverpool will visit Manchester City at the Etihad in a massive derby (19.30). Last season, this was the match that decided the title, but now, City is in the middle of their biggest crisis under Pep Guardiola. They’re a shadow of the team that once dominated rivals. The injury to Spanish midfielder Rodri has thrown them off, Kevin De Bruyne is in poor form, and rumors are swirling about his departure.🔴 IT’S MATCHDAY 🔴The Reds travel to Manchester for a #PL clash at the Etihad 👊#WalkOn | #MCILIV pic.twitter.com/H3SKAzMP5m— Liverpool FC (@LFC) February 23, 2025 Phil Foden has had a disastrous season, not to mention the struggles of the expensive Jack Grealish. City was also knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid, making their only hope for next season’s Champions League qualification through the league. They currently sit in fourth place, but Bournemouth, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Newcastle, and Brighton are all breathing down their necks.City has been Liverpool’s biggest challenge over the past seven or eight years, with the two teams fighting for the title on several occasions. This season, Guardiola’s side is a massive 17 points behind. Liverpool, on the other hand, is now the favorite in this upcoming clash in nearby Manchester.It’s time to clock in.#MCILIV pic.twitter.com/Kl18SIYbYF— Premier League (@premierleague) February 23, 2025 Slot said: “Everyone is surprised City isn’t at the top after so many years. They have a great manager who has always been up there. No one expected them to be so far behind us. They invested a lot of money in January and think this is just a one-year break, that they’ll be competitive again. Last weekend, City was very good against Newcastle.”Liverpool is unbeaten in their last three matches against City. In the first half of the season, they won 2-0 at Anfield, with goals from Gakpo and Salah. Guardiola recently played without Erling Haaland in the second leg against Real Madrid. The Norwegian is still recovering from an injury and is questionable for today’s match. He has scored 27 goals across all competitions this season.2 – Mohamed Salah (29 goals, 20 assists) and Erling Haaland (27 goals, 3 assists) are the top two Premier League players for both goals and goal involvements across all competitions this season. Catalysts. pic.twitter.com/pGSGPmFGSt— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 21, 2025 Egyptian Omar Marmoush has already shown that he will be a great reinforcement. The Eintracht Frankfurt forward has scored three goals for the Hornets this winter.”It’s better to have Haaland in the team than not, but right now we’re in a situation where he is uncertain,” said Guardiola.Center-back John Stones faces a longer layoff following his injury at the Bernabeu last week. Manuel Akanji is also out, as is the long-absent Rodri. For the visitors, only Bradley and Gomez are missing.Buoyant Pep: ‘Liverpool can’t reach our record’Meanwhile, at Anfield, there’s silence when it comes to contract renewals for three potentially key players—defensive pillar Virgil van Dijk, top player Mohamed Salah, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The Dutchman spoke to Jamie Redknapp for Sky Sports, emphasizing that his focus is entirely on winning trophies with Liverpool.Van Dijk: “I can’t speak about personal conversations that has obviously been going on for a while, but I can only say that I am fully committed to the club. I love the fans… let’s see what the future brings. As long as I’m calm, I think the rest of the world can stay calm.” pic.twitter.com/kmAEVNN39N— Anfield Sector (@AnfieldSector) February 22, 2025 “That’s my main focus. I have very, very big plans in that sense. I want to make sure this team is successful. And that’s my main focus at the moment. I can’t talk about personal conversations. That’s obviously been going on for some time. But I can only say that I’m fully committed to the club. I’ve mentioned this before. I love the fans. I love the club. Let’s see what the future brings. As long as I’m calm, I think the rest of the world can stay calm too. Now is not the time to talk about my future,” said Van DIjk.PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 26Friday Leicester – Brentford 0-4 (0-3)/Wissa 17, Mbeumo 27, Norgaard 32, Carvalho 89/Saturday Everton – Manchester United 2-2 (2-0)/Beto 17, Doucoure 32 – Fernandes 72, Ugarte 80/Arsenal – West Ham (0-1)/Bowen 44/Bournemouth – Wolves (0-1)/Cunha 36/Fulham – Crystal Palace (0-1)/Andersen 37 og/Ipswich – Tottenham (1-2)/Hutchinson 36 – Johnson 18,26/Southampton – Brighton (0-1)/Pedro 23, Rutter 56/Aston Villa – Chelsea 2-1 (0-1)/Enzo 9 – Asensio 47,89/Sunday 17.00: (1.85) Newcastle (3.60) Nott.Forest (4.30)19.30: (3.15) Man City (3.70) Liverpool (2.30)***odds are subject to change***
