Man City face Arsenal test as Bournemouth look to stun Liverpool

Manchester City's resurgence faces a serious test as they travel to Arsenal this weekend, while Bournemouth aim to shake up the title race by taking down Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Elsewhere, third-placed Nottingham Forest host Brighton, hoping to bounce back from last week's 5-0 thrashing at Bournemouth, while Tottenham look to halt their alarming slide at Brentford.

Man City's biggest challenge yet

Pep Guardiola's side have won four of their past five league games, climbing back into the top four after a dismal run. Their midweek escape against Club Brugge, which saw them scrape into the Champions League play-off round, suggested they may have turned a corner.

But a defining period now awaits the reigning champions. A daunting run of fixtures begins with Arsenal, followed by clashes with Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest. Their European fate also hangs in the balance, with a tough play-off looming against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, unbeaten in 14 league games at home since a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa last april, cannot afford to drop points in their pursuit of Liverpool. Sitting second, six points ahead of City, the Gunners will be desperate to reinforce their title credentials after two seasons of falling short.

Tottenham's slide continues

Despite Tottenham's dramatic fall down the table, talk of relegation has seemed unrealistic given their eight-point cushion above the drop zone. But with fellow strugglers Everton and Leicester closing in, concerns are growing.

In late november, Spurs were sixth, just four points off second place. Now, they have plummeted to 15th, sitting 23 points behind the top two. Ange Postecoglou's side have taken only four points from their last 10 matches—only Southampton have fared worse in that period.

Sunday's trip to Brentford offers no easy reprieve. The mid-table side boast an impressive home record and plenty of attacking firepower. If Tottenham's form does not improve soon, fans may start fearing the worst.

Bournemouth eye European push

At the start of the season, a trip to Bournemouth would not have been a major concern for Liverpool manager Arne Slot. Now, it presents a serious challenge.

Andoni Iraola's team are unbeaten in 11 league games, their longest such run in the Premier League. The Spaniard has done a remarkable job despite missing key players, including Marcos Senesi, Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra, Evanilson, and Enes Unal.

Bournemouth sit seventh, just one point behind fourth-placed Manchester City, and their fans are beginning to dream of European football. Justin Kluivert, with 11 league goals, is stepping out of his father Patrick Kluivert's shadow, while Dango Ouattara announced himself with a hat-trick in last week's 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest.

Having already beaten Arsenal and Manchester City this season, Bournemouth will be confident of adding Liverpool to their growing list of scalps. The league leaders have suffered just one defeat, but this could be their toughest test yet.