Liverpool face an in-form Aston Villa as the Premier League champions look to arrest their remarkable collapse on Saturday, while Arsenal aim to surge further clear in the title race.
The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Bournemouth, who travel to Manchester City, before their trip to Burnley.
Third-placed Tottenham are only five points off the top but are aiming to end a three-game winless run at home when they host London rivals Chelsea.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot badly needs his star names to get back on track after being dumped out the League Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday to compound a miserable run for the Premier League champions.
Slot made his priorities clear by making 10 changes as Palace cruised to a 3-0 win at Anfield against a youthful Liverpool selection.
The Dutchman said he could not risk any more injuries to his key players with the visit of Villa quickly followed by clashes against Real Madrid and Manchester City. The Merseyside team’s troublesome start comes despite the club spending 446 million pounds ($599 million) on new recruits in the close season.
However, Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday he was pleased with his squad.
“We miss nothing,” he said. “I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have, but not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.