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• Arteta hails Arsenal resilience as crucial Chelsea clash looms

  Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenal for showing resilience during a difficult period and described his players as a "joy to work with" ahead of a crucial week in the Premier League title race. 

  All three title contenders – Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City – are in action twice this week, with the Gunners taking on Chelsea and Tottenham in two huge London derbies.

  They returned to the top of the table with Saturday's 2-0 win over injury-hit Wolves, but with City possessing a game in hand, the destination of the trophy remains out of their hands. 

  Following a difficult few days in which Arsenal surrendered control of the title race and exited the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Arteta was delighted with their response at Molineux. 

  "If you look at the amount of games we have played in the last few weeks, the type of games we have played, their effort is unquestionable and the results are something else," Arteta said.

  "It's a joy to work with them, and it makes us realise we want to be involved in the big competitions, fighting for the Champions League, fighting for the Premier League with the level that it requires."

  Chelsea's ambitions, meanwhile, are limited to securing qualification for either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League, with their hopes of silverware being dashed on Saturday. 

  They were guilty of spurning several golden opportunities in their 1-0 defeat to City at Wembley Stadium, with their wait for a first trophy under the Todd Boehly regime being extended.

  Mauricio Pochettino, though, is choosing to take the positives from that game as the Blues bid to draw level with Newcastle United and Manchester United in the table on Tuesday.  

  "Now we need to take the positive things from the game," Pochettino said. "This group of players needs these types of moments and games.

  "Now is the time to finish the season in the best way and then see how we can do better next season."

  PLAYERS TO WATCH 

  Arsenal – Leandro Trossard

  Trossard scored in October's reverse fixture as Arsenal fought back from 2-0 down to clinch a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, and he has provided an invaluable source of goals from the left wing in recent games, with Gabriel Jesus struggling.

  The former Brighton and Hove Albion man is enjoying his most prolific Premier League campaign, with nine goals, and only Bukayo Saka (14) has netted more for the Gunners this term.

  Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson

  Jackson missed several clear-cut chances as Chelsea failed to make the breakthrough against City at Wembley on Saturday, and he is perhaps running out of chances to show he can be the Blues' long-term solution in that number nine role.

  Jackson's 10 Premier League goals this season have come from a total of 13.98 expected goals (xG), giving him an underperformance of -3.98. Only Dominic Calvert Lewin (-5.98) and Darwin Nunez (-4.1) have underperformed their underlying numbers by a greater margin.

  MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

  Arsenal have only lost one of their last eight Premier League games against Chelsea (five wins, two draws), going unbeaten through their last four against them. That is their longest such streak versus the Blues since they went 19 matches against them without defeat between 1995 and 2005.

  Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games (four wins, four draws) and have scored multiple goals in each of their last six. However, that run could come to a halt at the Emirates, with Arsenal possessing a strong record in the biggest games this term.

  City and Liverpool have already left north London defeated this season, and Arsenal have not lost back-to-back home Premier League games since April 2022. Chelsea should be competitive, but the Gunners cannot afford to miss this chance to pull clear of their rivals. 

  OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

  Arsenal 51%

  Chelsea 22.5%

  Draw 26.5%

• Arijanet Muric backs Burnley to win their battle for Premier League survival

  Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric believes his side will win their survival bid and extend their stay in the Premier League.

  The Clarets have been in the bottom three all season but have taken 10 points from their last seven games after Saturday’s 4-1 win at relegation rivals Sheffield United.

  Muric, who made a string of outstanding saves at Bramall Lane to help secure Vincent Kompany’s side their second league win of the year, said: “I think we as a team you can see after every game the energy’s back.

  “We believe in it every day, it’s not just saying it. Everyone looks like we believe in it. We had some good games in the previous games and I think we’ll be good. We’re going to do it I think.”

  Burnley climbed to within three points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest before their game on Sunday at fellow strugglers Everton.

  Muric made crucial saves to deny Oli McBurnie and Ben Brereton Diaz before Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon gave the Clarets a barely-deserved 2-0 half-time lead.

  Gus Hamer pulled one back for the Blades but Lyle Foster and Johann Berg Gudmundsson added further goals for the visitors.

  Muric also made a brilliant flying save to keep out James McAtee’s curling effort and when asked about his performance, the Kosovo keeper said: “Yes, it’s my job.

  “Today it went well and I’m happy that I could save some goals and we could take the win.”

  Blades boss Chris Wilder conceded after the game that his side’s season was over as they remain cast adrift at the bottom with five games to go.

  Home goalkeeper Ivo Grbic turned in another unconvincing display as he was beaten too easily by Burnley’s first two scruffy goals and Wilder said he was considering taking him out of the firing line.

  The Croatia international was drafted in during the January transfer window after a series of mistakes from previous number one Wes Foderingham earlier in the season.

  Wilder said: “Obviously we made a decision and it was an opportunity to bring (Grbic) in. There was a reason we brought him in, we weren’t comfortable in that position.

  “Let’s get it right, I don’t think anyone was comfortable in that position. So everyone was clamouring and we thought it was the right thing to do, but obviously it’s not been a great start for the big man.

  “Goals are going in too easily, I don’t think there’s much protection in front of him from a defensive point of view.”

  Asked if Grbic could be dropped for Wednesday’s game at Manchester Unmited, Wilder added: “Well, we’ll make a decision over the weekend. It’s something we talk non-stop about, positions and how we want to set up.”

• Chris Wilder accepts imminent relegation as Sheffield United fall to Burnley

  Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted his side’s Premier League season was over after a 4-1 home defeat to relegation rivals Burnley.

  Burnley struck twice in the space of two minutes just before the interval through Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon to snatch control after being second best for most of the first half.

  The Blades threatened a comeback when Gus Hamer reduced the deficit, but further goals from Lyle Foster and substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson maintained Burnley’s late bid for survival.

  The Clarets climbed to within three points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, while a 23rd league defeat of the season has left the rock-bottom Blades 10 adrift of safety with five games to play.

  Wilder said: “We all understand the situation. I’m not being defeatist, I’m being a realist. The season really, is gone.

  “We have an obligation to our supporters and an obligation to the league to be as competitive as we possibly can, so we’ll look at that as well.

  “We’ll get it right. We’ll have people who want to be here. People that want to run around and be involved when the going gets tough and want to be part of it when we’re going well.

  “In the meantime, we have to do our best to make this as painless as possible because at the moment pain is going through every part of the football club.”

  Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric made a string of crucial saves in either half, while at the other end the visitors were clinical and Gudmundsson’s effort with 20 minutes left, less than a minute after stepping off the bench, killed the game.

  Wilder added: “I won’t name names, but I think there were a few players out there who wanted to get out of there pretty quickly after the fourth went in, which you just can’t have.

  “I think there were a few who wanted to get out of there pretty quickly and that can’t happen. It’s a powerful league and it’s been too powerful for us all season.”

  Burnley registered just their second win of the year, but have now taken 10 points from their last seven matches and boss Vincent Kompany was delighted his players appear to be holding their nerves.

  The Belgian said: “You get closer to the end (of the season) and this game was important for both teams, so I feel really happy with the result and the performance.

  “The timing of their goal was really bad for us, it’s as bad as you can get. But you’re looking to see if the team is panicking, if there are any signs, but it didn’t feel like this.”