Arsenal looking to pile pressure on Man City in title race as Spurs visit Villa

[p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a] can go six points clear of their in-form rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/fulham-69ZiU2Om/?mid=6sw2IgOM"]if they beat Fulham on Saturday[/a], two days before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/everton-KluSTr9s/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/?mid=rTwrFuZR"]City face a tricky trip to Everton.[/a][/p][p]At the other end of the table, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brentford-xYe7DwID/west-ham-Cxq57r8g/?mid=EmnRINZ2"]West Ham face Brentford[/a] while relegation rivals [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/aston-villa-W00wmLO0/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/?mid=jFEYCXop"]Tottenham take on Aston Villa[/a].[/p][p][i][b]AFP Sport[/b][/i] looks at three talking points ahead of the action:[/p][h2]Tight margins[/h2][p]Arsenal can pull well clear of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a], at least for 48 hours, but they must rediscover their scoring touch in a season that could be decided by the tightest of margins.[/p][p]Before the Gunners' win against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/newcastle-utd/p6ahwuwJ/"]Newcastle[/a] last weekend, the top two were level on points and goal difference.[/p][p][b]Arsenal know even if they win their four remaining games, it may not be enough - they have failed to score more than one goal in any game since mid-March.[/b][/p][p]City, with a game in hand, have clicked into gear and are scoring much more freely than their rivals.[/p][embed guid="5af9a7f1-6f86-4d46-b44e-b01ef1feb62b" url="https://x.com/Arsenal/status/2049972069102747921" social-type="twitter" /][p]Former England defender Gary Neville believes Arsenal will have to be "wheelbarrowed" over the line if they are to win their first Premier League title since 2004.[/p][p][b]"They're not going to sail over the line - it's going to be a real struggle. They're not going to all of a sudden hit form in this next couple of weeks,"[/b] he said on The Gary Neville Podcast.[/p][h2]Spurs count cost of injuries[/h2][p]Just when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] showed encouraging signs of life under new manager Roberto De Zerbi, their injury curse has struck again.[/p][p][b]Dutch midfielder [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simons-xavi/noo0L9zk/"]Xavi Simons[/a] suffered a serious knee injury in last week's 1-0 win at relegated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolves/j3Azpf5d/"]Wolves[/a], while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/solanke-dominic/OrADwZse/"]Dominic Solanke[/a] could miss the rest of the campaign with a hamstring issue.[/b][/p][p]The club's injury list this season makes sobering reading, with long-term absentees including [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kulusevski-dejan/fXLqHCYi/"]Dejan Kulusevski[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kudus-mohammed/hzbcXxIG/"]Mohammed Kudus[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maddison-james/YwP0q0m8/"]James Maddison[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/odobert-wilson/CIvgNZLk/"]Wilson Odobert[/a]. Captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/romero-cristian/jBZTWXMn/"]Cristian Romero[/a] is another recent victim.[/p][embed guid="b536c97f-af64-4ed2-923e-eb1839d89348" url="https://x.com/SpursOfficial/status/2049896693643022357" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"We can win the games with the players, not with the coaches,"[/b] said De Zerbi. [b]"The coaches are important but the players are more important. But I want to be positive."[/b][/p][p]Tottenham, who face a tricky match at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] this weekend, remain in the drop zone, trailing two points behind 17th-placed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham[/a] despite the first win of De Zerbi's tenure.[/p][h2]Can [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] stop the rot?[/h2][p]Chelsea can still end the season on a high despite a horrific run of five successive Premier League defeats that led to Liam Rosenior's recent sacking.[/p][p]Marginally improved under interim boss Calum McFarlane, the Blues beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/leeds/tUxUbLR2/"]Leeds[/a] 1-0 last weekend to set up an FA Cup final against Manchester City.[/p][p][b]Although they are languishing in eighth in the Premier League, Chelsea still have a slender chance of grabbing a Champions League spot as well.[/b][/p][p]If Villa finish fifth - their current position - and win the Europa League, the Champions League place they would earn by ending in that position would be passed down to the Premier League's sixth-placed team.[/p][embed guid="94f171b0-38d8-456b-bd4a-8b39cc6ab6cb" url="https://x.com/ChelseaFC/status/2049954783318905052" social-type="twitter" /][p]However, if Villa finish fourth or above and win the Europa League, there would be no extra Champions League place for an English club.[/p][p]As it stands, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] would be the team to benefit as they are in sixth place on 50 points.[/p][p]But [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a], Chelsea, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] are all within one or two points of the Seagulls, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/everton/KluSTr9s/"]Everton[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sunderland/WSzc94ws/"]Sunderland[/a] are also within striking distance.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/england/premier-league/fixtures/"]Follow the Premier League here with Flashscore![/a][/h2]