Arsenal head into the international break at the top of the Premier League, with their rivals beneath them playing out an interesting match in the clash for the title.
The Gunners went on an impressive winning run that was brought to an end with their late draw against Sunderland over the weekend.
It meant fans were watching on in anticipation to see the result from Manchester City’s clash with Liverpool, as both teams have been tipped as the closest challengers for the title this season.
Pep Guardiola’s side ran out as 3-0 winners over Arne Slot, with four points now separating Arsenal from second.
Now, after such a seismic match in the context of the Premier League title, both managers have given their thoughts on the race, which will intrigue the Gunners.
Arne Slot discusses Liverpool’s title race struggles
Liverpool ended last season as champions, and with a huge summer transfer spend, there was an expectation that they would be back at the top again.
However, after a nightmare month that included plenty of defeats, they now sit eighth, eight points off of Arsenal.
It leaves the Reds facing an uphill battle to get back into contention, as Slot himself admitted.
He told Sky Sports: “Now, last season when we were eight points clear, I never felt as if it was done already, but I don’t think at this moment of time, as a Liverpool manager, we should talk about the number one position.
“We should focus on our own performance that needs to be better, and but this week gave me a lot of positives to take into the games we’re gonna face after the international break.
“Yeah, it’s clear that in moments like this, you could focus only on the negatives, but there were a lot of positives in this week as well.”
Liverpool will need to get back to winning ways, and quickly, to get themselves back in the title race, while relying on others to fall away.
With Man City now the nearest challengers, Guardiola has given his own thoughts on the title race and the battle with Mikel Arteta.
Pep Guardiola heats up the Premier League title talk
Man City have denied Arsenal a few titles in seasons gone by, but there is a sense that the Gunners can get over the line this time.
That said, an emphatic win for Guardiola has his side back in the mix and ready to challenge once again.
The manager spoke to the press about the title race and claimed: “I said to the players ‘Don’t do it because yesterday Arsenal didn’t win. You have to do it because we believe in ourselves that we can play against the champions of England and show them we are able to be there with them all this season’.
“Today we proved it.”
Those words clearly put pressure back onto Arsenal, who will be feeling the heat after dropping two late points.
There are plenty of games left before the title is wrapped up though, and Arsenal are certainly in the driving seat.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
