Related items

• 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

• Man City v Liverpool: Preview and prediction

  Liverpool may be no threat to Manchester City in the title race this season, but they could derail the champions' hopes of a treble in Saturday's match at the Etihad Stadium.

  That is the fear of Pep Guardiola, who still thinks highly of a Reds side struggling for consistency this season.

  City need to win to at least temporarily close the gap to leaders Arsenal, while Liverpool are on the outside of the Champions League chase looking in.

  That idea would have been alien to these two teams last year as they went toe-to-toe for the title, and memories of previous mammoth clashes are fresh in Guardiola's mind.

  The City boss, who said his "opinion doesn't change for one season of ups and downs", explained: "For one game, absolutely, they can beat everyone, like we can beat everyone. One game is one game."

  As City can focus on Arsenal alone in the league, Liverpool's situation is rather more complicated.

  They are seven points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with two games in hand but also five shy of Newcastle United, who have played the same number of games in fifth.

  Liverpool follow a trip to City by facing Chelsea and Arsenal next week.

  "It's a super important game," said Jurgen Klopp. "That's the one thing not different to all the other years.

  "We know it's a massive game, a massive week coming up. For tomorrow, they deserve all the attention – we can't think about the other games.

  "It is like a Champions League week. I'm super excited."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH

  Manchester City – Kevin De Bruyne

  While Haaland was out of action in the international break, De Bruyne was on top form for Belgium, putting Germany to the sword earlier this week with a goal and two assists. He will have a key role to play against City, who have played more through balls than any other team (64), while Liverpool are joint-fourth for the most through balls played against them (48). De Bruyne leads all players with 21 through balls.

  Liverpool – Mohamed Salah

  Salah loves playing against City, only scoring more than his 10 goals in these matches when facing Manchester United (12). Indeed, he has already netted in three separate matches against Guardiola's side this season, on target in each of their meetings in the Premier League, Community Shield and EFL Cup. Ian Rush was the last last Liverpool player to score in four different games against an opponent in the same campaign, netting in five clashes with Everton in 1986-87.

  MATCH PREDICTION – MAN CITY WIN

  Liverpool are hoping to do the league double over City for just the second time in the past 17 seasons, but that previous home-and-away success in 2015-16 included their sole victory at the Etihad Stadium in their most recent 13 league visits.

  This is not a season in which they appear likely to buck a trend away from home, having earned just 12 points from 13 games on the road. Having earned 30 points at Anfield, theirs is the biggest difference between home and away points in the division.

  The Reds have also failed to score in six of those away games, their most across a whole league season since eight in 2011-12, and another blank would leave them at risk of a third straight defeat without scoring in all competitions for the first time since October 2009.

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Man City - 50.8 per cent

  Liverpool - 22.8 per cent

  Draw - 26.4 per cent

• 'We will see' – Pep waiting to make Haaland call ahead of City-Liverpool

  Erling Haaland is still recovering from his groin injury, with Pep Guardiola saying a final decision on his fitness for this weekend would be made later on Friday.

  Haaland has enjoyed an astonishing first season at Manchester City, scoring 42 goals in all competitions – comfortably the most of any player in Europe's top five leagues.

  But his momentum was checked heading into the international break by an injury that kept the forward from linking up with Norway.

  City have a huge game against Liverpool on Saturday and are hopeful Haaland will be back, although Guardiola was eager to take his time with that call.

  "Erling is recovering," the manager said. "We have the last training session and we will see how he feels."

  Guardiola, who added Phil Foden would be out for "two or three weeks" following appendix surgery, was asked if he would risk Haaland if he was not convinced he was fully fit.

  The City boss was happy to trust the 22-year-old's judgement, but he is also confident his side would cope without their superstar striker.

  In the Premier League, Haaland has scored 28 goals, making up 42 per cent of City's total this term and earning 20 points. All three are high marks for a City player in a single season.

  "The doctors and especially the players will decide," Guardiola said. "How does he feel? Yesterday I spoke with him and he feels good. But we will see, we will see what happens.

  "We have scored a lot of goals this season, and he's scored an incredible amount of goals, but in the past we also scored a lot of goals.

  "Since we were here, and with Roberto Mancini and [Manuel] Pellegrini, always Man City was a team that scored a lot of goals in the season – with different players, different strikers.

  "They scored a lot of goals, which is what we will try to do until the end of the season."

  City have scored the second-most goals across Europe in all competitions this season, with their 109 trailing Bayern Munich's 112. They are the only two teams to reach three figures.