Man City and Arsenal woes should be a warning to Arne Slot as title race roller coaster goes on

Things are looking pretty great right now for Arne Slot's Liverpool team.

The Reds are currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League, with both Manchester City and Arsenal looking as weak as they have done for some time. The struggles of those below them though should prove a stark reminder that Premier League title races are far from easy. Whilst Liverpool have gone about their business this season relatively smoothly, the wheels of both City and Arsenal have started to come loose.

Heading into the season - and as recently as the last international break - the title race talk was once again dominated by Pep Guardiola's City players, who won their fourth-straight Premier League crown in May.

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The team who would pose the biggest threat? Well to many that was once again Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, who have attempted to end City's dynasty over the past two seasons, before eventually falling short when it mattered most.

The only team to thwart Guardiola and co since the Spaniard won his first Premier League title with the Blues in 2018 was Liverpool. This did of course come over four years ago now, and whilst Jurgen Klopp was at the height of reign at Anfield, but nonetheless, Liverpool is the only one to add a blemish to City's dominant record.

Klopp's departure in the summer and Arsenal's recent resurgence saw The Reds knocked back a peg when it came to title race talk this campaign, but three months into the season this is all change. With eight wins and two draws from the first 11 games, the Reds are back on top, and now Slot and co are the talk of the town.

Liverpool has seen itself move from an outside third in the title race chat to favorites to get its hands on the title - and for good reason. Any doubts over the transition between Klopp and Slot have been wiped, with the Dutchman settling perfectly into life as the man in charge at Anfield.

Not only have the Reds moved five points clear in the title race, the way they have done so has been impressive, with the players adapting to Slot's system with ease. And whilst everything has been going right at Anfield the same can not be said for their two main rivals below them.

It has been arguably the roughest period in Guardiola's City reign over the past month, with the Spaniard losing four matches on the bounce as City manager for the first time in his career. And the Blues have seemingly followed in the footsteps of Arsenal, whose torrid run of one league win in their last five matches has seen them fall nine points behind Liverpool already.

Despite the cushion though, the woes at the Etihad and the Emirates have proven just how volatile the title race can be. Not even the most optimistic member of The Kop could have predicted a five and nine point cushion over City and Arsenal 11 games in, but the key factor to remember is the game tally. Liverpool fans know as good as anyone that Premier League title races are not for the faint hearted, having been brutally pipped by Guardiola's men on the very final day of the season, not once, but twice.

Not to mention, these City and Arsenal-like runs can kick in when you least expect, just ask Klopp last season. Even though the 2023/24 season ended with the Blues and the Gunners neck-and-neck, it was Liverpool who was leading the way for a large share of of the season, before a harmful - and quick - run of poor performances saw then stumble over the line in third.

The hope at Anfield will be that Slot continues his calm and collective approach in the dugout which is clearly being rewarded on the pitch, but still with one eye over his shoulder. As things stand, life for Slot and co is going smoothly, however he must be wary that things can change quickly for those on top.