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As Liverpool closes in on the title, the Reds plays their only Premier League game of the month this weekend against one of the worst teams the top flight has seen in years, Southampton.
So let’s just assume they at least preserve their 13-point lead at the top.
Arsenal will be hoping to keep pace, even on the road against moribund Manchester United.
Previously massive rivals, United’s 14th-place stature — 21 points back of the Gunners — would suggest this one will be straightforward as well. If there’s anything to give Arsenal pause, it’s that United’s best games this season have come against ‘bigger’ clubs, drawing Liverpool and Chelsea, and beating Manchester City.
Though Arsenal strolling to a 7-1 win on Tuesday at PSV, all but booking their place in the Champions League quarterfinals after the first leg, will have it brimming with confidence.
While teams at the top of the table have been dealing with the demands of games in Europe, the intensity goes up a notch this time of year.
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Two-legged knockout ties against top teams for bigger prizes can usurp league priorities and provide distraction.
Both Arsenal, who essentially have made the second-leg at home next week a friendly, and Aston Villa, which to a lesser degree did the same as it returned from Belgium with a 3-1 win over Club Bruges, already can all but bank on being in the quarterfinals.
Liverpool, which ended up with a brutal draw against in-form Paris St-Germain in the round of 16, has lots of work to do still after a smash-and-grab 1-0 win in Paris. And, after facing the Premier League’s most flaccid team on the weekend, they get the second leg at Anfield.
You’d expect manager Arne Slot to rest at least a couple of key players on Saturday, but other than the FA Cup game against Championship Plymouth, which they lost, he has been reluctant to do so all season.
Liverpool was dominated by PSG and will find itself fortunate to be in a such a decent position. PSG always is dangerous, and hadn’t lost since December until Liverpool beat it.
The Merseysiders always play bigger at home in Europe and they’ve overcome much bigger teams — just ask Barcelona, who took a 3-0 first-leg lead to Anfield in 2019 only to lose 4-0 as the Reds went on to claim their sixth title as Champions of Europe.
If Liverpool gets past PSG, the Reds will face the winner of Aston Villa and Club Bruges in the quarters while Arsenal can already book a flight to Madrid, as it’ll get the winner of Atletico and Real, which holds a 1-0 lead after the first match.
After next Tuesday’s second leg, Liverpool will play the Carabao Cup final at Wembley while the rest of the Premier League has a regular week. That’s when Arsenal gets a chance to close the gap as it plays its game in hand and hosts Chelsea.
Then there’s an international break and we’re into April for the mad dash to the finish.
It’s the qualification for next year’s tournament that is the one to watch this weekend.
Third-place Nottingham Forest holds a one-point lead over Manchester City, which they host.
Chelsea and Newcastle will want to keep the heat on those two as they face Leicester and West Ham, respectively, matches you’d expect them both to win.
Then Bournemouth, losers of three of the past four after going months without losing, needs to stay in touch with the top four by beating Spurs, while Brighton hosts Fulham. While they’re eighth and ninth, Brighton is just four points behind the last Champions League spot and Fulham five.
The loser of this game likely will have their Cinderella dreams come to an end.
At the other end of the table, Wolves is going to be in a more vulnerable spot thanks to star man Matheus Cunha losing his temper and being charged with violent conduct in their FA Cup loss to Bournemouth.
Wolves have a five-point gap on both Ipswich and Leicester, but Cunha — who has almost single-handedly carried the team since December — is now suspended for three games.
If Leicester or Ipswich want to escape relegation, they have to close the gap while he’s out and this weekend, with Ipswich facing Crystal Palace, would be the time.
Speaking of naughty boys, Newcastle are ruing last weekend’s loss and elimination from the FA Cup by Brighton.
Anthony Gordon saw the red mist and raised his hands to an opponents face, knocking him over and getting a straight red card and three-match ban, which includes the Carabao Cup final next weekend.
Newcastle already is missing centre back Sven Botman, who’s going to have knee surgery. Star striker Alexander Isak is touch-and-go as he has been dealing with a hamstring injury and had to leave the Brighton loss with three minutes to go.
While Newcastle is the ninth-most successful English club in terms of trophies won, their most recent one was the FA Cup in 1955. Snapping that 70-year drought without Gordon makes the task all the more difficult.
This weekend’s slate
Saturday: Nottingham Forest vs Manchester City; Brighton vs Fulham; Crystal Palace vs Ipswich; Liverpool vs Southampton; Brentford vs Aston Villa; Wolves vs Everton.
Sunday: Chelsea vs Leicester; Tottenham vs Bournemouth; Manchester United vs Arsenal.
Monday: West Ham vs Newcastle.