How Liverpool's next five Premier League fixtures compare to Arsenal's | OneFootball

There was an expectation that Liverpool would merely need to turn up to topple their great rivals on Sunday afternoon, and perhaps Manchester United's stark improvement caught them off guard.

The Red Devils were more than competitive at Anfield and more than deserving of their point. Liverpool, as a result, failed to take advantage of Arsenal's draw at Brighton on Saturday. Their lead at the summit is six points having played a game less - a margin slim enough to suggest there's still a race on with plenty of the season remaining.

Here's how their upcoming Premier League fixtures compare to Arsenal's.

Nottingham Forest stunned Liverpool at Anfield in the reverse fixture / Carl Recine/GettyImages

Liverpool have a Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham and FA Cup tie with Accrington Stanley to consider before they're next in Premier League action.

Slot's side have a succession of tricky away days against sides who have punched above their weight so far this season. A midweek trip to Nottingham Forest under the lights at the City Ground may well be one of the toughest fixtures left on their domestic calendar. Nuno Espirito Santo's side are third in the table having concluded 2024 with five straight wins.

They're also the only team to beat Liverpool in the Premier League this season.

A visit to the Gtech in west London arrives four days later, with Brentford blossoming as one of the best-performing home teams in the division. However, Thomas Frank's side have lost their previous two home games to Forest and Arsenal.

The league leaders will be expected to enjoy some comfort when they face the relegation-threatened duo of Ipswich and Wolves at Anfield in between a venture down south to Bournemouth on 1 February. The Cherries have already beaten Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham on home soil this season.

Arsenal's next five Premier League fixtures

Arsenal host the North London Derby in their next Premier League outing / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Arsenal's margin for error has long been slim, and they may well be out of the title hunt if Liverpool rattle off wins in testing environments over the next few weeks.

The Gunners are 13 games unbeaten after drawing at Brighton, but a lengthy winning run is required to potentially close the gap.

They, too, have a Carabao Cup semi-final to think about, and Mikel Arteta would be wise to prioritise those two fixtures with Newcastle. The FA Cup third-round tie against Man Utd isn't exactly a gimme either despite the Red Devils' woes.

Arteta's squad has been weakened considerably by Bukayo Saka's hamstring tear, and supporters will want to have a couple of attacking reinforcements in the door by the time the month is out. Before that, though, Arsenal host Tottenham in the North London Derby having triumphed 1-0 in N17.

An Aston Villa team with a couple of key injuries then visit the Emirates three days later. The Villans won 2-0 in north London last season to hinder Arsenal's title charge.

Arteta's side also take on a potentially resurgent Manchester City outfit at the start of February having secured a rare win over Pep Guardiola's side in October 2023. As a result of their horrid slump at the end of 2024, City are competing for a top-four spot as opposed to a fifth-straight title.

Importantly, the toughest of Arsenal's upcoming fixtures are at home. They're not on their Premier League travels again until 25 January when they take on Wolves. After hosting City, the Gunners travel to Leicester in an early Saturday kick-off.