Arsenal will look to secure a fifth consecutive Premier League home win over old rivals Manchester United this weekend as they aim to keep a faltering chasing pack at arm’s length.

The Gunners have been held to back-to-back goalless draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, but their title rivals have failed to capitalise. Manchester City’s struggles have continued, while Aston Villa have also been unable to close the gap at the top.

Elsewhere, pressure remains intense on Tottenham boss Thomas Frank despite a morale-boosting midweek win over Borussia Dortmund, with Spurs travelling to relegation-threatened Burnley.

AFP Sport highlights three key talking points ahead of the weekend’s action:

Arsenal wary of United’s Carrick bounce

On paper, Arsenal appear strong favourites against Manchester United, but Mikel Arteta’s side will be alert to the impact of Michael Carrick’s return to the dugout.

United impressed in Carrick’s first game of his second spell as interim boss, producing a vibrant attacking display in a 2-0 victory over Manchester City last weekend.

However, consistency has eluded the fifth-placed Red Devils this season. Aside from a three-game winning run in October, they have failed to string together consecutive league victories.

United’s attacking output has improved since Ruben Amorim was dismissed earlier this month, but Arsenal’s defence has been resolute, with the Gunners not conceding a single shot on target in their past two league matches.

Once the defining rivalry of the Premier League era, the fixture now carries a different context. Arsenal have not lifted the title since 2004, while United’s dominance belongs firmly to the past.

With Arsenal heavy favourites to claim a long-awaited 14th English crown, United would relish the chance to derail their momentum.

Everything unravelling for City

Manchester City’s miserable start to 2026 reached a new low on Tuesday with a humbling 3-1 defeat away to Bodo/Glimt — one of the biggest upsets in Champions League history.

Pep Guardiola’s side remain without a league win this year, and their title challenge is rapidly slipping away.

“The feeling is that everything that can go wrong is going wrong in many, many details,” Guardiola admitted after the defeat in Norway. “We have to try to change it.”

Injuries to key defenders Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol have played a major role in City’s decline following a strong finish to 2025.

Guardiola will hope new signing Marc Guehi can bring stability at the back, with the former Crystal Palace captain set to make his debut against bottom club Wolves on Saturday.

“We have to come back — the results since 2025 are not good,” said Guardiola. “We have to change the dynamic quickly.”

While Wolves remain deep in relegation trouble, Rob Edwards’s side arrive on the back of a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions.

Last chance saloon for Frank?

Tottenham’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday offered Thomas Frank some brief respite, but the pressure on the Spurs boss remains severe.

Frank knows that only improved league results will secure his future, with Spurs needing to build momentum away to Burnley.

“We need to bring this win and this performance into momentum,” Frank said.
“We need to go to Burnley, we need to perform, and we need to win.”

The former Brentford manager appeared close to the exit after a fan backlash following last weekend’s 2-1 home defeat to struggling West Ham.

Tottenham have slipped to 14th in the table after a promising start under Frank, and failure to beat another team in the relegation zone this weekend could prove the final straw.