This weekend in the Premier League: Arsenal take on Brighton, Liverpool battle United at Anfield

The Premier League title race remains in the balance with the challengers taking turns at the summit but it was Liverpool that ended matchday 16 at the top of the pile.

However, just four points separate the top four, such is the volatile nature of the 2023/24 title race, with Unai Emery’s high-flying Aston Villa eager to upset the apple cart this season.

The Premier League is poised to deliver another weekend of exciting and entertaining football, with several mouthwatering clashes set to unfold across the land.

Arsenal welcome the unpredictable Brighton & Hove Albion to the Emirates Stadium. The Seagulls have blown hot and cold this season but are more than capable of frustrating the Gunners in north London.

Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to reclaim their place at the top of the table, but a victory for Brighton would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the title race.

Meanwhile, a heavyweight showdown awaits at Anfield as Liverpool lock horns with bitter rivals Manchester United, promising a clash of titans that transcends the boundaries of a mere football match. 

Anticipation for the high-stakes fixture is palpable, and fans can buy Liverpool vs Man United tickets from Seatsnet.com to ensure they don’t miss a beat from the blockbuster contest.

Jurgen Klopp’s men will be eager to maintain a firm grip on the summit, and they’ll fancy their chances against a United side bereft of confidence after an awful run of form.

Keen to build on their resurgence, defending champions Manchester City square off against Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium, while Villa travel to Brentford in what could be a tricky outing for Emery’s troops.

Arsenal v Brighton overview

After stuttering over the past couple of games, Arsenal welcome Brighton to north London eager to return to winning ways, but they face another tricky Premier League contest.

The Gunners fell to a 1-0 defeat to Villa in their last outing, succumbing to a seventh-minute strike from Clarets skipper John McGinn, who finished off a sweeping team move.

Despite developing a knack for comebacks and late goals in recent months, Arsenal had no response to McGinn’s strike, although they had a flurry of chances to level matters.

Profligacy cost them a positive result in Birmingham, and the outcome of the contest saw Arsenal relinquish their place at the summit to Liverpool.

Sunday’s game against Brighton promises no respite for the Gunners, who head into the weekend contest without a win in their last two games following the midweek continental draw against PSV Eindhoven.

Having already punched their ticket to the Champions League knockout rounds as Group B winners, Arsenal’s trip to the Philips Stadion was effectively a dead rubber.

Arteta shuffled the deck, handing rare first-team minutes to Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny, but his rotated line-up squeezed out a 1-1 draw against the Dutch giants in the Netherlands.

Despite spending the bulk of the opening half on the back foot, Eddie Nketiah gave Arsenal the lead three minutes from half-time. 

However, Yorbe Vertessen’s strike five minutes after the restart ensured both sides settled for a share of the spoils, with PSV preserving their unbeaten home record.

Looking ahead to the visit of Brighton, Arsenal cannot afford any more slip-ups in the title race, particularly with defending champions Man City suffering a rare dip in form.

Brighton have shaken off an awful run of form to get their top six push back on track, even though Roberto De Zerbi’s talented troops have been decimated by injuries.

The Seagulls have lost just one of their last ten games across all competitions (W5, D4), falling to a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

They also missed out on a chance to pick up a valuable three points in their most recent Premier League outing against relegation-threatened Burnley.

De Zerbi’s side fell behind on the stroke of half time thanks to a Wilson Odobert strike, but a relentless second-half performance saw Simon Adingra grab a deserved point for the hosts.

Despite avoiding defeat, Brighton will rue their missed chances for the dropped points. Their continental clash against Olympique Marseille would serve as a dress rehearsal for the crunch game against Arsenal.

A hard-fought 1-0 victory over AEK Athens in their last Europa League outing ensured the Seagulls would extend their European dream after securing a place in the knockout rounds.

Marseille have also qualified for the latter stages of the tournament, but both sides will trade tackles at the Amex Stadium for a chance to emerge from the group phase as Group B winners.

De Zerbi will be tempted to rotate his squad against Marseille with the trip to Arsenal firmly on the back of his mind and would fancy another win over the Gunners at the Emirates.

The last time Brighton squared off with Arsenal in north London, De Zerbi’s side ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav, and Pervis Estupinan.

Vengeance would be the theme of the contest from an Arsenal point of view, setting the stage for an enthralling game of football at the Emirates.

Liverpool v Man United overview

Anfield forms the backdrop for Sunday’s showpiece fixture as Liverpool and United renew long-term rivalries, although games between these English juggernauts tend to be a one-way street.

Liverpool have won six of the last ten meetings with United (D3, L1), including a 7-0 rout in their most recent clash with the flailing Red Devils.

Considering the vast contrast in form between both sides, another comprehensive whooping could be on the cards for United, who visit an in-form Liverpool in Merseyside.

Anfield is famous for being a fortress and that reputation has been further solidified by Liverpool’s form on home turf this season, maintaining a spotless record of seven wins from seven games.

Putting aside their home form, Liverpool host United on the back of a nine-game unbeaten streak that has seen them ascend to the top of the Premier League rankings.

Klopp’s side would welcome the chance to inflict more misery on their eternal nemesis, and United’s form does little to inspire confidence about their chances of upsetting the odds.

Underfire Erik ten Hag and his uninspiring troops travel to Anfield on the back of one win in their last five games across all competitions (D1, L3).

Morale is at an all-time low in the United dressing room after their elimination from the Champions League in the wake of a 1-0 defeat to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

In truth, the Red Devils have endured an awful European campaign, and Bayern only put them out of their misery thanks to a second-half strike from Kingsley Coman.