Manchester Metropolis followers are sweating on the health of aim machine Erling Haaland forward of their key house Premier League recreation towards Liverpool on Saturday.
With Arsenal eight factors away from second-placed Metropolis, the champions have to take three from Juergen Klopp’s aspect within the early kick-off to make sure the Gunners don’t take their lead into double figures.
Arsenal, who’ve 10 video games remaining and are chasing a primary championship since 2003-04, host 14th-placed Leeds United afterward Saturday.
Norwegian striker Haaland, who has scored an astonishing 42 targets in 37 matches for Metropolis since becoming a member of from Borussia Dortmund, is nursing a groin damage and missed coaching on Thursday as gamers returned from the worldwide break.
Haaland’s father Alfie instructed Norwegian tv final week it seemed “contact and go” whether or not the striker can be again in time for the Liverpool recreation.
“You possibly can’t simply go two weeks with out coaching after which soar proper right into a combat,” he mentioned.
His absence, with England midfielder Phil Foden additionally out after appendix surgical procedure, will likely be welcomed by Arsenal supporters as a lot as Liverpool, sixth within the desk and nonetheless within the hunt for a Champions League place.
“This can be a cup remaining for Manchester Metropolis,” former Arsenal playmaker Paul Merson wrote in a skysports.com column. “They must win this recreation.
“A win and the hole is 5 factors once more and the stress is again on Arsenal, who’ve some tough video games nonetheless to play.
“A draw for Metropolis and an Arsenal win towards Leeds on Saturday would take the hole to 10 factors and that’s too far. That could be a hole the place you nicely and really begin to suppose it is perhaps over.”
Arsenal play Liverpool at Anfield on April 9 and Metropolis on the Etihad Stadium on April 26 in a revenge conflict after shedding to their rivals on the Emirates in February.
“We can not management the end result of different golf equipment, all we are able to management is what we do each single day,” mentioned supervisor Mikel Arteta.
“Now it needs to be about having fun with the final a part of the season, with enthusiasm, vitality and an actual starvation to proceed to do what we’ve achieved, and if doable higher.”
Metropolis have a match in hand on the leaders however have performed another than third-placed Manchester United, who’re at Newcastle United on Sunday and are 11 factors additional adrift.
Fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur have former assistant coach Cristian Stellini in cost for his or her journey to struggling Everton on Monday after parting methods with Antonio Conte final Sunday.
The battle on the backside is tighter than ever, with 9 golf equipment separated by simply 4 factors and the weekend guarantees an extra shake-up.
Backside aspect Southampton journey to 18th-placed West Ham United on Sunday for a match on the London Stadium that neither can afford to lose whereas Nineteenth-placed Bournemouth host Fulham.
Leicester Metropolis, seventeenth, are at Twelfth-placed Crystal Palace — who’ve 75-year-old Roy Hodgson returning for a second spell as supervisor — with solely two factors between them.
Palace are the one aspect within the league with no win in 2023, having drawn 5 and misplaced seven of their video games.
This story has been revealed from a wire company feed with out modifications to the textual content.