Mikel Arteta believes Liverpool will endure a difficult spell in the Premier League as his Arsenal side look to close the gap in the Premier League table. The Reds currently have a six-point lead over the Gunners in the top-flight standings, with a game in hand.

Arne Slot's side managed to gain two points on their title rivals last weekend with their dramatic 2-0 win over Brentford. By contrast, Arsenal were held to a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa as Liverpool were handed a major boost in the title race.

This weekend, both Liverpool and Arsenal will have a rare occurrence of kicking off at the same time. The Reds will take on Ipswich Town while the Gunners face Wolves at Molineux, with both games scheduled to get underway at 3pm.

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Before beating Brentford, Liverpool had drawn their previous two Premier League matches against Manchester United and Nottingham Forest. Arsenal have also drawn two of their last three top-flight fixtures, and Arteta has spoken about competing with the Reds in the title race by explaining why he would not be surprised if Liverpool were to have a bad run of results between now and the end of the season.

"They normally do, so we have to be there," Arteta told reporters when asked if he believes Liverpool will have a 'difficult spell' of results via football.london.

"The margins are really, really small, you see how things could have gone last weekend," Arteta continued. "Turning points are minimal. We have to be at it, there's still a long, long way to go."

Next weekend also promises to be a potentially defining weekend in the Premier League title race. Liverpool face Bournemouth, while Arsenal will host reigning champions Manchester City.