Arsenal have been given a boost in their hopes of retaining the Premier League title

Arsenal have received a huge boost as Manchester City continue to stumble in their efforts to claim the Premier League title. Mikel Arteta’s side are aiming to retain the iconic trophy and have been helped by their rival’s faltering form.

City made a perfect start to the campaign, winning their first seven league games. However, Enzo Maresca's team have since endured back-to-back defeats.

The eight-time Premier League champions came unstuck at home to high-flying Brighton on Saturday. Matheus Nunes was responsible for the mistake that led Yasin Ayari to score the game’s only goal, adding another early dent to the club’s title hopes.

The result follows City’s 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, where errors from Marc Guehi and Gianluigi Donnarumma allowed Nicolas Jackson to score a match-winning brace at Villa Park. City’s consecutive losses have provided Arsenal with a platform to leap into top spot as they prepare to face Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Arsenal are level on points with City ahead of their next game at Anfield, meaning any positive result for Arteta’s side will see the team return to first place. The Gunners are looking to become the first Arsenal side since 1935 to retain the league title and will be encouraged by City’s recent blip.

"In this moment we are conceding silly goals that we can avoid and hopefully we can avoid in the next game," City boss Maresca said after his side’s defeat to Brighton. "Unfortunately it is happening for our players but I think it is part of the game, part of football.

“It happens many times against us, we need to analyse understand what we can do better and try to move on. For sure we are not happy.

“The players, me the coaching staff, no one is happy when we lose games at all, for sure, but we were aware we were not going to win all the games so these kind of moments arrive. We just need to try to improve things, move on and try to win games as soon as possible."

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Arsenal’s immediate focus will be overcoming Liverpool, who have won their last five matches in all competitions, as the Gunners seek to bounce back from their shock Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town. Ahead of the upcoming match at Anfield, Arteta confirmed Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice and Christos Tzolis had been in training.

However, Bukayo Saka is sidelined with a thigh injury and fellow winger Noni Madueke is a doubt to face Liverpool. Arteta will also be unable to call upon teenage prospect Max Dowman against Liverpool after the club’s appeal over his red card against Fleetwood was rejected.

"Very disappointed to be fair especially with the reckless tackle that he received,” the Arsenal boss said of the decision to uphold Dowman’s suspension. “His reaction is minimal in compared to the action.

"It is what it is, we have put every argument on the table to make a case for it, not only [was] Max's action is clear, obviously we have a very different opinion, you have to read into the context, the age, the player. It could have been really bad and we're really lucky today that he doesn't have a broken foot."