Arne Slot has Mohamed Salah firing and Liverpool have mark of champions but Arsenal and Man City could still land knockout blow

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Liverpool can go 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League with a win over Manchester City.

The Anfield showdown between the Premier League heavyweights, on Sunday, is one of the most eagerly awaited games of the season.

But despite the Reds’ superior form in Arne Slot's first season in charge since replacing Jurgen Klopp, they still can't rest on their laurels.

That's the view of Arsenal legend Martin Keown, who believes the Gunners and Manchester City are still capable of toppling Liverpool off the top of the tree, despite their respective rocky starts.

Before a ball had been kicked in the Premier League this season, many had expected the title battle of the last two campaigns between Man City and Arsenal to continue.

Instead, it's Liverpool breaking away from the rest of the pack, with City's bright start stalling after five defeats in a row – the latest being a 4-0 thrashing at home to Tottenham.

Then there was the three-goal lead they gave away against Feyenoord in the Champions League to make it six games without a win.

Arsenal, meanwhile, sit in fourth, level on points with third place Chelsea, who are also thriving under new manager Enzo Maresca.

Expectations had been higher than ever heading into this season for the Gunners to be pushing for their first title since 2004 after coming agonisingly close in the past two campaigns.

Keown was part of that Premier League winning squad, with Arsene Wenger's side the only club besides Blackburn to disrupt Manchester United's dominance from the League’s inception in 1993 to the mid-2000s.

Arsenal won the league in 1998, 2002 and again in 2004.

However, 20 years and a stadium move later, Gunners fans are still waiting to see their side lift the Premier League trophy again.

And although Liverpool are seemingly unstoppable right now, there’s still a long way to go.

But what has Slot done so well?

Slotting right in

Under the Dutchman, Liverpool have drawn and lost twice since taking over from Klopp, who in 2020 delivered the club a first league trophy since 1989.

"Jurgen Klopp definitely put the foundations in place," Keown said, reflecting on Liverpool’s strong start.

"I think it’s when you go into a football club, it’d be very easy for [Slot] to have been the one on trial. It doesn’t look that way. It looks like the players are on trial. 

"I’m even looking at [Andy] Robertson and thinking he’s still on trial, but he’s still picking him.

"But he’s getting the best out of everybody."

Star winger Mohamed Salah sent shock waves across the Liverpool fan base ahead of the win over Real Madrid by revealing he was 'more out than in' in terms of signing a new deal.

His current contract expires at the end of the season, and Saudi Pro League clubs are circling.

But thus far, Slot has been able to keep worries about the 'Egyptian King' under control. He’s currently the second highest goalscorer in the league this term with 10 goals – two behind Man City's Erling Haaland.

"But he’s playing angry and [Slot] is bringing the best out of Salah,” Keown added.

"He’s proven he can cope with the sort of uncertainty of what could happen in the future. He’ll be fine wherever he ends up. Liverpool fans would dearly love to see him stay there. So he’s created the right mix, but the foundation is definitely Klopp.

"And Klopp was rebuilding another team here and for whatever reason got tired or fatigued and wanted to step away. 

"And sometimes when a great leader like that, who is very demanding and wants things done at 100 miles an hour, the next guy comes in. There’s a calmness and I can sense that. 

"And it doesn’t look laboured for everybody else, for City, for Arsenal, their competitors, it looks a grind, looks like really difficult. 

"But for Liverpool, they’re comfortable. And even when, you know, Southampton handed it on a plate, they were there to cash in and that’s the sign of champions."

In Keown's mind, the race is far from over.

Gunner be tight

When asked what his beloved Gunners can do to close the gap, rather than focusing on areas they need to improve when the transfer window opens, Keown suggested Arsenal's 3-0 victory against Nottingham Forest last time out needs to be the catalyst for a great run of form.

"They need to win seven or eight games before [January].

"That’s what you have to do. Simple as that. You have to go on one of these really outstanding runs. 

"The Forest game was one to shut out the noise. Obviously you’re looking at it and seeing there’s lots of injuries, lots of suspensions, lots of away games.

"I mean, Arsenal at the moment are in a sequence of seven games where only one of them is at home.

"And so you look at it and you think about Liverpool’s fixtures but you all play the same teams. Even this one now for Liverpool – Man City – it’s a beautiful time for Liverpool to play Man City.

"But it might just be an incredible moment for City to strike back. So, Arsenal just need to go on a run, keep healthy and have everybody available. Some players were rested at the weekend.

"I think it was great to have us get a rest and hope, I suppose, that Liverpool start to ship points.

"They don’t seem to be having any problems right now. And they have won a Premier League in recent times. The nucleus of that team, certainly the back four and [Mohamed] Salah, is a Premier League winning team."

Bigger than Rodri

Guardiola had never lost five games in a row as a manger before City were mauled by a rampant Spurs last weekend. 

Man City lost 2024 Ballon d'Or winner and midfielder Rodri to an Anterior cruciate ligament injury at the end of September.

They then won six out of seven games, before suffering a 2-1 defeat to Spurs in the League Cup. Losses to Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon, Brighton and again to Spurs followed.

Asked if you can pin Man City's dire form on losing Rodri, Keown said: "No, it can’t always be just about one player, you know. But you saw them at the weekend and it’s just… Where their defenders were so secure all of last year, never made a mistake, first to the ball.

"Josko Gvardiol, ball into the channel, but he’s kind of doubting himself. Whereas last year, he’d have put his foot through it.

"Kyle Walker, blessed with pace. But if you don’t press the go button to sprint, doesn’t matter who you are, you’re not going to go quick enough, early enough. And that looked like what’s happening. Maybe they’re overthinking it too much now."

After the Invincibles success in 2003/04, Keown knows what it's like to be in a team not used to losing.

And he thinks City are now being put through something a lot of their players won't be equipped to cope with initially.

"When you are winning every week everyone on the outside looks and says, oh, you’re amazing.

"We had this with the Invincibles and other seasons where we went unbeaten for a large period.

"On the inside, I remember speaking to [manager] Arsene Wenger and he was saying, ‘Look, if we lose a game, you know…’, [City] are not so used to losing.

"Because when you are winning, your chest is out, you’re proud, you know, we’re unbeatable. And then when that goes, it can disappear, it can fall apart. And I think that’s where they are right now. 

"So their excellence in the past has affected how they recover, you know, because the building is like a morgue.

"It’s like no one’s used to losing. I learned this when I went to Leicester and I went to Reading.

"There are players there that have had, you know, slip ups. You know, it’s almost like a major event when you lose a game. It’s an occupational hazard everywhere else. But at big clubs, it doesn’t happen.

"So I expect them to jump out of this and they’ve got the tools to do that. Pep is an outstanding manager.”