Unlike in recent years, the goals of Manchester City and its guest Liverpool differ when they meet on Saturday at the summit of the twenty-ninth stage of the English Premier League , while leaders Arsenal will try to take advantage of any stumbling to chase it closer to its first title since 2004.
While the confrontations between City and Liverpool in recent seasons have come in the context of the struggle for the title, only City has remained in it this season, while Liverpool is content with competing for a qualifying seat for the Champions League.
And Arsenal will be waiting for any lapse from this summit when it receives Leeds United on Saturday, with the league wheel returning to rotation after a hiatus of nearly 12 days due to the international window.
With 10 matches left, Arsenal appears on the right path towards a first league title in 19 years, after achieving six straight victories in the Premier League, moving 8 points away from City II (69 vs. 61).
The London club played more matches than its pursuer and had to travel to Manchester to face the men of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola on April 26, but his fate remains in his hands.
Few expected Arsenal to be so close to glory this season after failing to achieve the final fourth place qualifying for the Champions League in the closing stages of last season.
But the Spanish coach, Mikel Arteta, did a great job with a group that did not include loud names, but was full of passion and fighting spirit.
"We have the right level of competition and cooperation because they really want to help each other, but they also have to challenge each other," Arteta said ahead of Leeds' visit to north London.
He continued, "The secret is perhaps the unity and teamwork between them. They like to spend time with each other, they like to play with each other. This is very powerful."
Manchester City refuses to give up its title without a fight, as it won its last six matches in all competitions and scored 13 goals in its last matches against Leipzig in the Champions League and Burnley in the Cup.
But there is little margin for error in City's bid for a fifth league title in six seasons.
City enjoys a relatively easier journey than Arsenal on paper in the final stages of the league, but its focus is dispersed in the quarter-finals of the Champions League at an early summit against Bayern Munich and the semi-finals of the FA Cup against Sheffield United, while the Gunners bid farewell to a continental European League and from the cup.
For City to remain close to Arsenal, they must overcome sixth-placed Liverpool for the first time in the league in two years.
City may enter the confrontation without star attacker Erling Haaland, who was absent from the Norwegian national team recently due to a thigh injury.
Behind the first two places, the competition is raging for the last two places that qualify for the Champions League. Manchester United ranks third with 50 points from 26 matches, compared to 47 for Newcastle fifth from the same number and 49 for Tottenham fourth from 28 matches.
Therefore, the match between Newcastle and its guest Manchester, Sunday, will be very important in the struggle for the continental positions.
The Red Devils are playing the match in the absence of Brazilian anchor player Casemiro, who was sent off during the tie with Southampton in the league, which led to his suspension for four matches instead of three, being the second expulsion this season.
He carried out the first match in the victory over Fulham in the quarter-finals of the cup, to keep United competing on three fronts this season after achieving the League Cup title, as he faces Seville, Spain, in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
As for Tottenham, it will defeat Everton at the end of the stage, Monday, in the first test since the separation from coach Antonio Conte on Sunday, after the deterioration of the results and fiery statements from the Italian against the team and the management of the London club.
As for Chelsea, who are in tenth place, he is looking forward to returning to the winning streak, after he settled for a draw at home with Everton before the break.
The relegation struggle is witnessing an epic battle, as four points separate the twelfth-placed Crystal Palace, who appointed Roy Hodgson to replace French Patrick Vieira, and bottom Southampton.