Arsenal wary of chasing Man City as De Zerbi begins Spurs salvage operation

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Arsenal[/a] can shrug off their domestic cup disappointment by moving ever closer to a first league title in 22 years when they host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/manchester-city-Wtn9Stg0/?mid=bLP5yET8"]Manchester City travel to Chelsea[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] boss Arne Slot cannot afford another damaging defeat when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fulham-69ZiU2Om/liverpool-lId4TMwf/?mid=jJ4pUVLr"]Fulham visit Anfield with Champions League qualification on the line[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/tottenham/UDg08Ohm/"]Tottenham[/a] have turned to Roberto De Zerbi to save them from the drop for the first time in nearly 50 years, and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/sunderland-WSzc94ws/tottenham-UDg08Ohm/?mid=pxlmliDE"]the Italian takes charge for the first time at Sunderland[/a].[/p][p][b][i]AFP Sport[/i] [/b]looks at three talking points ahead of this weekend's action.[/p][h2]Still Arsenal's title to lose[/h2][p]Defeat in the EFL Cup final to City and at second-tier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/southampton/WdKOwxDM/"]Southampton[/a] in the FA Cup have quickly turned Arsenal's quest for a quadruple into dreams of a Premier League and Champions League double.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/bournemouth-OtpNdwrc/?mid=jcHwYvNG"]Mikel Arteta's men can go 12 points clear at the top with victory over Bournemouth[/a] on Saturday, with City not in action until Sunday.[/p][image alt="Arsenal are nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table" id="c9c8c46e-f559-4c6a-89a8-bf08de5f78a1" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5faf5054-c2fe-4e7b-9f4b-c34d4326b9d7" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]A 1-0 Champions League victory at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sporting-cp/tljXuHBC/"]Sporting[/a] got the Gunners back to winning ways, but they needed heroics from goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/raya-david/nkVV0IXb/"]David Raya[/a] after another unconvincing performance.[/p][p]City, by contrast, appear to be hitting top form after thrashing Liverpool 4-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals and will smell blood should Arsenal stumble at the Emirates.[/p][p]Pep Guardiola's men still have a game in hand on Arsenal, and the two face off next weekend in a potentially decisive clash in the title race.[/p][h2]Struggling Liverpool in 'survival mode'[/h2][p]Slot conceded the English champions were outclassed in defeat to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/psg/CjhkPw0k/"]Paris Saint-Germain[/a] in the Champions League on Wednesday, and they face a battle just to make the competition next season.[/p][p][b]"We were in survival mode for large parts of the game, but maybe also in the period of the season we are in, we are in survival mode,"[/b] said Slot after a run of one win in six games.[/p][p]The top five in the Premier League will qualify and Liverpool occupy fifth for now.[/p][p]But only seven points separate them from Bournemouth in 12th.[/p][embed guid="d8168785-7deb-4b27-aad3-9acbcb556d2c" url="https://x.com/LFC/status/2042271317446062230?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The wretched form of both Liverpool and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chelsea/4fGZN2oK/"]Chelsea[/a] has offered hope for the chasing pack.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fulham/69ZiU2Om/"]Fulham[/a] are among them and can close to within two points of the Reds should Liverpool suffer a fourth consecutive defeat.[/p][p]Slot has already lost the confidence of large sections of the Liverpool support, less than a year on from winning the title.[/p][p]And a disgruntled fanbase are also set to protest this weekend over planned ticket price rises in line with inflation for the next three seasons.[/p][h2]De Zerbi's debut[/h2][p]Spurs could be in the bottom three by the time of De Zerbi's debut, should [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham[/a] beat bottom-of-the-table [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolves/j3Azpf5d/"]Wolves[/a] on Friday.[/p][p]Tottenham begin the weekend one point above the drop zone but without a league win in 2026.[/p][p]De Zerbi has just seven games to try and save a club that has not experienced life outside the top flight since 1978.[/p][image alt="Tottenham are one point above the Premier League relegation zone" id="2c81679c-1f4d-4175-bc89-226699b48e3f" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="f28b9440-a196-4e94-925d-30585134adc3" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]The Italian has been lured to north London despite Spurs' perilous position thanks to a lucrative five-year deal.[/p][p]The fiery former [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marseille/SblU3Hee/"]Marseille[/a] boss established a positive reputation for himself in England during a two-year spell as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brighton/2XrRecc3/"]Brighton[/a] manager between 2022 and 2024.[/p][p]But his methods often take time to bed in. Time Tottenham do not have in the battle for survival.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/england/premier-league/"]Follow the Premier League with Flashscore[/a].[/b][/p]