With Liverpool set to face Manchester City this Sunday, Erling Haaland is racing to regain full fitness.

The star striker is among five players Pep Guardiola could be missing for a crucial clash that has become a must-win for the Reds.

On Wednesday, Arne Slot’s side had their match against Aston Villa moved forward due to their upcoming Carabao Cup final. Villa Park is always a tough place to visit, and Liverpool managed only a draw, leaving them eight points behind Arsenal at the top, having played an extra game.

A victory at the Etihad Stadium—where Liverpool hasn’t won since 2018—now feels essential. Fortunately, City are dealing with their own struggles, and Haaland’s availability remains uncertain.

The Norwegian striker picked up a knee issue late in last weekend’s win over Newcastle United, preventing him from making an appearance in City’s Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

Via our colleagues at MEN Sport, Guardiola explained: “I believe the images we have done are fine but it hurt when he walked, when he went down the stairs. Yesterday, this morning he told me that he wasn’t ready, that he didn’t feel well.”

Now trailing Mohamed Salah by five goals in the Golden Boot race, Erling Haaland’s potential absence would be a relief for a Liverpool defense that has managed just two clean sheets in their last nine games.

Adding to Manchester City’s concerns, John Stones lasted only eight minutes in Wednesday’s clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The England defender went down without contact while under pressure from Vinicius Jr and appeared emotional as he left the pitch, making him a major doubt for Sunday’s showdown.

Meanwhile, midfield anchor Rodri, sidelined since last September with an ACL injury, has been ruled out for the rest of the season and will play no part against Arne Slot’s side.

Youngster Oscar Bobb remains sidelined as he continues his recovery from a leg fracture suffered early in the season, while Manuel Akanji is also a doubt after picking up a hamstring injury earlier this month.

The only positive news for Manchester City on the injury front is Jack Grealish’s return to the bench. The winger had been out since sustaining a hamstring issue in the first leg against Real Madrid but could now be in contention to feature against Liverpool.

Arsenal have emerged as unexpected contenders to sign a striker who is considering terminating his contract, with Mikel Arteta’s side reportedly positioning themselves to lure him to north London.

Meanwhile, Arsenal’s squad depth continues to take a hit, as Takehiro Tomiyasu has been ruled out for the rest of the season following surgery on his right knee. He joins Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, leaving Arteta with increasingly limited options.

Despite their injury setbacks, the Gunners remain in the race for the Premier League title, especially after Liverpool dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

A win against West Ham on Saturday would narrow the gap to five points, and Arteta is expected to stick with the same attacking setup that secured a dramatic 2-0 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
West Ham (home)	February 22nd
Nottingham Forest (away)	February 26th
Man United (away)	March 9th
Chelsea (home)	March 16th
Fulham (home)	April 1st

Mikel Merino was deployed as an emergency striker in a dramatic late push, scoring twice in the final ten minutes against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side. However, it remains uncertain whether Mikel Arteta will start the Spaniard up front against West Ham.

The showdown with the Hammers marks another pivotal moment in Arsenal’s pursuit of their first domestic league title in 21 years. The club’s lack of depth, especially in the attacking department, has sparked criticism of their recruitment strategy.

In January, Arsenal made a lowball offer for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, which was swiftly rejected. Despite Villa’s willingness to negotiate a £60 million fee, the Gunners ultimately decided against pushing for a deal (David Ornstein). As a result, any hopes of securing a top-tier striker will have to wait until the summer.

While Arteta recently hinted at the possibility of signing a free agent, the available options wouldn’t significantly bolster Arsenal’s attacking lineup. However, a surprising new target has emerged—former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.

Firmino, who was instrumental under Jürgen Klopp with 111 goals in 362 appearances for the Reds, could be set for an abrupt exit from Al-Ahli. According to a Spanish media source, the Brazilian is considering terminating his contract, and Arsenal are reportedly positioning themselves to bring him back to the Premier League.

The 33-year-old currently earns an eye-watering £302,000 per week in Saudi Arabia—wages that would make him Arsenal’s highest-paid player. A move to the Emirates would likely require him to accept a significant pay cut.

Despite registering 10 goals and five assists this season, Firmino was left out of Al-Ahli’s league squad in favor of new signing Galeno, casting doubt over his long-term future at the club.

Arsenal have received a major boost in their pursuit of Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, as reported by Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo.

The Gunners have been strongly linked with the Spanish international, with Mikel Arteta reportedly making him a top priority for the summer transfer window.

Williams, 22, had also been a key target for Barcelona, who nearly secured his signature. The Catalan giants were eager to bring the Euro 2024 winner to the Nou Camp last year.

However, Arsenal’s chances of signing Williams have now significantly improved, as Barcelona have shifted their focus to Liverpool’s Luis Díaz.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugrana, now under Hansi Flick, had been pushing to sign Williams but faced financial constraints that prevented them from completing the deal.

With Barcelona now prioritizing Díaz, Arsenal have a clearer path to securing Williams’ services this summer.

The Spanish winger, who has a £48 million release clause, played a crucial role in Spain’s Euro 2024 triumph, earning the Man of the Match award in the final after scoring in the decisive game.

Since making his senior debut for Athletic Club in 2021, Williams has netted 24 goals in 152 appearances, establishing himself as one of Europe’s most exciting young prospects.

With Barcelona stepping aside, Arsenal are now in a strong position to push for his signature as they look to bolster their squad ahead of the new season.

The Gunners need attacking reinforcements this summer after failing to strengthen their frontline in the winter window, despite being in a tight title race with Liverpool.

Bringing in Williams would provide Arteta with much-needed depth and versatility in attack, complementing Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.

His speed, dribbling ability, and capacity to play on either flank could add a new dimension to Arsenal’s offensive play.

The Gunners’ need for attacking reinforcements was evident in their recent clash with Leicester, where two late goals from Mikel Merino secured the win.

Arsenal pay the fine as England legend returns and Kane doubtful for Celtic clash

Arsenal have been fined for their response to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s red card last month, Chloe Kelly has returned to the England squad after Arsenal teammate Beth Mead withdrew due to injury, and Harry Kane is a doubt for Bayern Munich ahead of their Champions League clash with Celtic.

The Gunners were handed a £65,000 fine by the Football Association after their players confronted referee Michael Oliver during last month’s 1-0 win over Wolves.

Lewis-Skelly was controversially sent off for a challenge on Matt Doherty, prompting Arsenal players to surround Oliver in protest. However, the red card was later overturned on appeal.

Manager Mikel Arteta was furious with the decision, which sparked debate among pundits over whether the sending-off was justified.

The FA also released the written reasons for the fine, with the aggravating factors including: “When the red card was shown, only two Arsenal players were in relatively close proximity to the referee, with none in his immediate vicinity.

“A number of players travelled some distance to engage with the referee following the sending-off. From the footage one can clearly see the intensity of the protests made by the Arsenal players. There were, at times, nine Arsenal players in very close proximity to the referee.

“The caution administered by the referee does not end the misconduct, as would be expected.

“The duration of the misconduct, the close proximity of the players to the referee, the number of players involved and the failure to desist/disperse when the referee indicates for them to do so all render this a serious matter and serve to aggravate the misconduct.

“Arsenal ought to be credited for admitting the charge. The red card issued being overturned on appeal does not justify the reaction of Arsenal’s players surrounding the match referee and affords no mitigation.”

Chloe Kelly has been called up to the England squad as a replacement for her injured Arsenal teammate Beth Mead.

The forward is one of two late additions ahead of the Lionesses’ Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain, with Aston Villa defender Lucy Parker also stepping in for Lotte Wubben-Moy, who has withdrawn.

Kelly, currently on loan at Arsenal from Manchester City, made her first appearance in her second spell with the Gunners as a substitute in their 5-0 win over rivals Tottenham on Sunday.

Her call-up marks another twist in a dramatic few months for the 27-year-old, who was left out of England’s last squad due to limited playing time, as confirmed by manager Sarina Wiegman last week.

Kelly, who famously scored the winning goal in the 2022 Euros final against Germany, publicly expressed her frustrations in January over a lack of minutes at Manchester City, a situation she said had taken a toll on her mental health.

Meanwhile, Pascal Struijk’s stoppage-time header secured a dramatic 2-1 victory for Leeds over fellow Championship promotion contenders Sunderland at Elland Road.

Struijk, who had already equalized late in the game, nodded in the winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time after Wilson Isidor had given Sunderland a deserved lead at halftime.

Daniel Farke’s side extended their unbeaten league run to 15 matches, reclaiming the top spot in the table and moving 10 points clear of fourth-placed Sunderland, whose eight-game unbeaten streak came to an end.