Arsenal's smooth season start has hit choppy waters, and Mikel Arteta’s squad knows it can’t afford a slip-up at home against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
A loss to Bournemouth last weekend marked Arsenal’s first defeat since April, costing them not only three points but also key defender William Saliba, who will miss the Liverpool match after receiving a red card.
Arsenal rebounded with a hard-fought 1-0 Champions League win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, but suffered another setback as defender Riccardo Calafiori exited injured just 20 minutes from time.
The Italian may be absent along with the suspended Saliba and injured trio Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber when Liverpool, who have thrived in the post-Jurgen Klopp era, visits.
Liverpool's 1-0 victory against RB Leipzig on Wednesday means new manager Arne Slot has won 11 of his first 12 games in charge, including all six away from home – both club records.
A defeat would leave Arsenal seven points behind Slot's side and potentially six behind Manchester City, who host second-bottom Southampton on Saturday.
While Arteta likely won’t hit the panic button, allowing two title rivals such an early lead would leave Arsenal with little margin for error in the months ahead.
Following Arsenal's scrappy win over Donetsk, Arteta promised his team would be "flying" on Sunday after four days' preparation, but Liverpool, despite having one less day to recover after their trip to Germany, will arrive brimming with confidence.
"Arteta has done an amazing job in the last few years, and we have to be on top of our game to get a result," Slot said.
The Dutchman is enjoying the best start by any Liverpool manager, credited to minimal changes to Klopp's formula, though there’s a more pragmatic approach seen in last weekend's gritty 2-1 win over Chelsea.
That match was considered Slot's biggest test to date, and he passed with flying colors. A victory at Arsenal on Saturday would be another massive result.
Champions Manchester City will likely be top by then, as anything other than a win against a struggling Southampton side would be a major upset.
Fourth-placed Aston Villa made it three wins from three in the Champions League on Tuesday and will be riding high as they prepare to host Bournemouth on Saturday, where a win would bring them to 20 points, just one behind Liverpool.
"We have to keep the level increasing," manager Unai Emery said after Tuesday's 2-0 home win against Bologna.
Besides Arsenal's heavyweight clash with Liverpool, three other games will take place in the capital on Sunday, the most intriguing of which is West Ham United facing Manchester United.
Hammers manager Julen Lopetegui has endured a tough start, and a 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend did not sit well with fans.
That defeat left West Ham in 15th, three points behind Manchester United, whose 2-1 victory over Brentford last weekend gave embattled manager Erik ten Hag some breathing room.
However, Dutchman Ten Hag needs more than sporadic wins to escape the cycle of crisis that seems to follow him at Old Trafford.
The weekend schedule kicks off on Friday with the East Midlands derby, as Leicester manager Steve Cooper welcomes his resurgent former club Nottingham Forest, who would move into fifth place, at least temporarily, with a win.
