Mikel Arteta believes Liverpool remain one of the top two teams in England as he prepares Arsenal for a crunch clash on Saturday.
The drastic dip in results from Jurgen Klopp's team since the turn of the year has seen last season's champions fall out of the top four in the Premier League.
They and Arsenal still have time to jump up the table, with Liverpool sitting seventh and Arsenal ninth heading into the weekend.
Liverpool's five most recent Premier League wins have all come away from Anfield, and another at Emirates Stadium this weekend would be a huge lift for Klopp and his players.
Arteta senses Liverpool are performing better in many respects than their results indicate, and suggested they are only outranked by one team - who would inevitably be Manchester City - in a range of key data performance metrics.
"I'm not the one to analyse what's gone wrong for them. I can talk about what they've done and what they are still producing," Arteta said in a news conference.
"I've seen a lot of games and the stats will support that. They are, if not the best, the second team in almost every department that we as coaches have to analyse.
"But then this is football and the ball has to be in the net - the final action has to provide a moment to win a football match.
"Then you have some individuals that dictate as well the quality of your team. Sometimes you cannot predict those things, so I think it's a lot of things."
Discounting penalties and own goals, Liverpool have netted 39 times in the league this season, yet their expected goals (xG) total is 44.3.
City's xG is slightly higher at 49.2, but Arteta's former club have far outperformed that mark with 58 non-penalty goals.
The trip to face Arsenal in north London has rarely been a successful mission for Liverpool in recent times. The Merseyside giants have won just two of their past 20 Premier League away games against Arsenal (D9 L9), a 2-0 success in August 2011 and a 4-3 victory in August 2016.
Arteta would relish another win to add to Arsenal's haul, knowing it would nudge them to just a point behind Liverpool, but he said his team would be "punished for every error".
Although the first leg of a Europa League quarter-final against Slavia Prague is coming up next week, manager Arteta says all the focus from his players should be on this weekend.
"For me, the priority is Liverpool," Arteta said. "We know if we want to climb up the table and have the chance to be in Europe next season through the Premier League, we need some consistency now in the last nine games.
"We need to get a run of winning matches, and the only way to do it is to start against Liverpool. We don't have any margin and we have to win the game."
Arteta said young midfielder Emile Smith Rowe had been troubled by "some discomfort in his hip" while away with the England Under-21 squad.
"We will speak with the doctors and the physios and see if he's available for training tomorrow," Arteta said.
Similar applies to Bukayo Saka, who pulled out of the senior England squad due to a hamstring problem but could come into contention for the weekend.
Liverpool versus Arsenal has thrown up some scintillating games in the past, and no fixture in Premier League history has seen more goals scored than the 166 they have shared in those battles.
Liverpool have scored 94 times in the Premier League rivalry, the most goals the Gunners have shipped against a single opponent in the competition.
Galtier: PSG working on next season's plans, including talks with Messi
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Christophe Galtier is optimistic about the club's plans for next season, but admits there are parts of the setup that need improving "significantly".
PSG still have a seven-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 despite a 2-0 home defeat to Rennes in their last game before the international break.
Speaking ahead of Sunday's clash with Lyon at Parc des Princes, Galtier explained the work that is taking place to plan for the future, including discussions with Lionel Messi, whose deal expires at the end of the season.
The World Cup winner has been linked with a return to Barcelona as well as a potential move to MLS with David Beckham-owned Inter Miami.
"What will happen next season, we are working on it a lot, with management, with [director of football] Luis Campos," Galtier said.
"There is what we want to do but there are also the positions of each other, the club, the players. What we need to change quite significantly, what we need to improve quite significantly to be even more competitive.
"Regarding the future of Leo, there is the position of Leo, of the club, it is discussed between the two parties.
"I am focused on the 10 matches that come up to get this title. As for knowing what Leo or the club will decide, that remains very confidential."
Galtier also provided an update on Neymar, who suffered a season-ending ankle injury against Lille in February.
"During the break, he came in for an evaluation of his ankle post-op," Galtier explained. "We're talking with him a lot, we obviously follow his rehabilitation process.
"When there is an injury like this one, I like to give the player a bit of space, but we obviously keep in touch very regularly."
PSG have just 10 league games remaining this season, having been eliminated from both the Coupe de France and Champions League, and Galtier has used the international break to try and prepare his team as they look to seal the Ligue 1 title.
"We've had 10 days to work with a limited number of players," he said. "We've taken care of the little injuries, the players are coming back little by little. Tomorrow we will have a session focused on the game.
"Paris-Lyon is a classic fixture in this league. We need to get back to winning ways after Rennes, and get back on track in the final sprint."
Arsenal v Leeds United: Preview and prediction
Arsenal can see the finish line in the Premier League title race after returning from the international break, but Mikel Arteta just wants his players to enjoy it.
The Gunners are in pole position to end a 19-year wait for the championship, eight points clear of Manchester City – albeit having played a game more.
Arteta's men were also in top form before the season was paused a fortnight ago, and they will be expecting another win at home to Leeds United.
By then, City will have played Liverpool, who could tilt the odds further in Arsenal's favour.
But Arteta is trying to avoid worrying about matters elsewhere, explaining this week: "We cannot control the outcome of other clubs.
"All we can control is what we do every single day, how we behave, how we train, how we communicate, how we control our energy, and the messages we send to our people.
"Now, it has to be about enjoying the last part of the season, with enthusiasm, energy and a real hunger to continue to do what we've done and, if possible, better.
"I think we have really good people, and we have really good players. They are curious all the time to improve, learn and be better. It is a joy to work with this group.
"They really follow us and want to please everybody, and they love what they do, love living with each other and playing for each other. I think you can sense that."
Leeds were beaten 1-0 in the reverse fixture at Elland Road, a near-miss that new boss Javi Gracia has no interest in reflecting on.
"We are looking for the next game and focused on the next game," he said.
"For sure we are playing against the team at the top of the table and it will be very demanding for us.
"But to have one option to get a good result, the first step is to believe that you can do it. The team believe that we can do it."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Arsenal – Bukayo Saka
Saka was one of the undoubted stars of the international break, with a sublime goal and equally brilliant assist for Harry Kane in England's 2-0 win over Ukraine. That sort of display was in keeping with what the Arsenal winger has produced in the Premier League this season, with no other player in the division joining him in reaching double-figures for both goals (12) and assists (10). Only Erling Haaland (33) and Kane (23) have more goal involvements.
Leeds United – Jack Harrison
Harrison has suddenly rediscovered his scoring touch, netting in back-to-back games after just two goals in his previous 29 Premier League appearances. But that is not to say he had not been delivering for Leeds in other ways as the winger leads the way for both assists (six) and chances created (41) among his team-mates.
MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN
Arsenal have not lost to Leeds in all competitions since a 3-2 defeat in May 2003 ended their title bid. It will take more than that to stop the Gunners this time, though, and a repeat appears pretty unlikely at Emirates Stadium.
Leeds have won only two of their 23 meetings with Premier League leaders, including losing each of their four such games against Arsenal by an aggregate score of 14-2.
Meanwhile, Arteta's men are on a six-match winning run in the league, their joint-best under this manager. Arsenal last won seven in a row with Unai Emery at the helm between August and October 2018.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Arsenal - 61.4 per cent
Leeds United - 15.7 per cent
Draw - 22.9 per cent
Osimhen a doubt for Napoli's Champions League quarter-final against Milan
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen faces a race against time to play any part in the Champions League quarter-final against Milan after suffering an injury.
Osimhen played both games in the international break for Nigeria but has returned to the Italian club with a left thigh problem.
The club announced on their website he will be assessed next week, with president Aurelio De Laurentiis hopeful the star striker will soon be back in action.
De Laurentiis said, according to Tuttomercato: "He should be out a couple of weeks, we hope."
Napoli host Milan in Serie A on Sunday before travelling to face Lecce on the following Friday, with Osimhen likely to miss both fixtures.
The Champions League quarter-final first leg in Milan comes on April 12, with the return fixture taking place in Naples on April 18.
The 24-year-old Osimhen has enjoyed a prolific season, scoring 25 goals in 29 games in all competitions, with Luciano Spalletti’s 19 points clear of second-placed Lazio in Serie A and through to their first-ever Champions League quarter-final.
Argentine striker Giovanni Simeone will likely deputise in Osimhen’s absence, with the striker having netted eight times in all competitions this season.
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