Arsenal can prove title credentials by passing huge test Liverpool have already failed

At 4pm on Sunday, April 28, Arsenal could be outright Premier League title favourites. Liverpool and Manchester City have kept pace with the Gunners throughout the 2023/24 season to set up an enthralling final few weeks in the race for the title.

This past weekend, both Arsenal and Liverpool picked up victories away from home against Wolves and Fulham, respectively. Meanwhile, City earned their spot in the FA Cup final at the expense of Chelsea, with their initially scheduled game against Tottenham moved to May 14.

With City trailing in the standings as a result of their cup exploits, Liverpool and Arsenal had the chance to put further distance between themselves and the reigning champions; however, only one team managed that. On Tuesday night, the Gunners put five past Chelsea at Emirates Stadium to move top, but just 24 hours later, Liverpool lost the Merseyside Derby to Everton.

Following their latest fixtures, both Arsenal and Liverpool have played 34 games; however, the latter are now three points behind the league leaders. Prior to their clash on Thursday against Brighton, City have played 32 matches and are on 73 points, but they can move up to second with a victory.

All three title rivals must still navigate a number of challenging fixtures, with arguably Arsenal's hardest to come this weekend. The North London Derby against Tottenham will be contested on Sunday, and a victory for the Gunners will undoubtedly prove their true title credentials, especially following Liverpool's loss.

At the home of their bitter rivals, Jurgen Klopp's side were outfought and outworked, and Arsenal must ensure that is not repeated in their own local derby. Last season, Mikel Arteta's side beat Tottenham as they challenged for the title before eventually coming up short, but the last time this fixture was contested towards the latter stages of the season, Spurs won 3-0 on their way to pipping Arsenal to a Champions League qualification spot.

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A minor blip in April, as it did in the last campaign, has already hit the Gunners, but Arteta will be hoping two dominant wins in the last four days will have seen any fears of a late collapse dashed, and they can show further proof of that at the home of their rivals.

Following on from their clash against Arsenal, Spurs must also take on Liverpool and City; therefore, it is clear they will have a significant say in the title race. In terms of other challenging fixtures on the horizon, Arsenal must also make the trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United, while Liverpool are back on their travels in May to take on Aston Villa.

As for City, Pep Guardiola's side arguably have the easiest run-in, with trips to Nottingham Forest and Fulham coming before they head back to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after winning in the FA Cup earlier in the season. Despite that, City have yet to see anything other than a league defeat at Spurs' home, with their four visits also resulting in four blanks.