LONDON, Nov 8, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Injury-hit Manchester City are desperate to
snap their losing streak in their final Premier League game before the
international break as Chelsea aim to deepen Arsenal's misery.

Elsewhere in the English top flight, Ruud van Nistelrooy takes charge of his
final game as interim manager of Manchester United and winless Wolves play
fellow strugglers Southampton.

AFP Sport picks out some of the key talking points ahead of the action this
weekend.

Man City eye reset

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City have become so accustomed to success that
three straight defeats feels like a major crisis.

Last week City, who face Brighton on Saturday, were ousted from the League
Cup by Tottenham.

Their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an end at
Bournemouth before Sporting Lisbon beat them 4-1 in the Champions League --
ending another long unbeaten stretch.

Guardiola's men, gunning for a fifth consecutive Premier League title, are
just two points behind league leaders Liverpool but will be wary of losing
further ground.

Midfielder Bernardo Silva says the club's multiple injury worries are not an
excuse for their poor form but he admits the international break, which
starts after the weekend, comes at a good time.

"At the moment with the injuries that we have and the psychological part as
well, it will be good to have that rest, but before that we have a big game
again," he said.

One positive for City in their defeat to Sporting was the return of Kevin De
Bruyne, who came on as a late substitute after seven weeks out of action.

Can Odegaard rekindle Arsenal title push?

If results go against them, Arsenal could find themselves eighth in the
Premier League by the time they kick off against London rivals Chelsea on
Sunday.

Mikel Arteta's men have picked up just one point from their past three league
games and lost their midweek Champions League clash against Inter Milan 1-0.

Arteta was upbeat despite the defeat at the San Siro, where captain Martin
Odegaard made a welcome return to action after being absent since late
August.

But defeat against in-form Chelsea plus a win for Liverpool would leave
Arsenal, runners-up in each of the past two seasons, 10 points off top spot.

Thierry Henry said on CBS Sports that if Liverpool and City win at the
weekend and Arsenal lose, his former side could be out of the title race.

"It would be extremely difficult because you (would) have too many teams to
catch... I don't see two teams collapsing," he said.

Liverpool -- the real deal

Arne Slot has won 14 of his first 16 games in charge of Liverpool in all
competitions.

The club had a relatively kind fixture list at the start of the season but
they show no signs of letting up -- taking seven points from games against
Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton in recent weeks and boasting a perfect record
in the Champions League.

Liverpool have also beaten two Premier League teams, West Ham and Brighton,
on their way to the League Cup quarter-finals.

Former Feyenoord boss Slot brushed off a question about whether he was
finding his new job "easy" after Liverpool's thumping 4-0 win against German
champions Bayer Leverkusen this week.

"Every team that plays against us is in the top of their game," he said. "And
if you want to win that, you always have to be consistent in your intensity,
and that's not always easy but that is what's needed."

Liverpool have a tough run of fixtures coming up, starting with Aston Villa
at home on Saturday, but so far they have proved they have what it takes.

Fixtures

Saturday (1500 GMT unless stated)

Brentford v Bournemouth, Crystal Palace v Fulham, West Ham v Everton, Wolves
v Southampton, Brighton v Manchester City (1730), Liverpool v Aston Villa
(2000)

Sunday (1400 unless stated)

Manchester Utd v Leicester, Nottingham Forest v Newcastle, Tottenham v
Ipswich, Chelsea v Arsenal (1630)