Soccer Football - Premier League - Burnley v Liverpool - Turf Moor, Burnley, Britain - December 26, 2023 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah reacts Action Images via Reuters/Ed Sykes/File Photo
(Reuters) - Liverpool have exceeded expectations by topping the Premier League table at the halfway mark of the season but Manchester City will be optimistic of getting back into the title fight after Arsenal slipped up this month.
Despite seeing their midfield gutted in the close season, Juergen Klopp's Liverpool have turned things around with a quick rebuild and lost only one game this season -- a defeat at Tottenham Hotspur marred by a VAR controversy.
Liverpool have also managed to survive an injury crisis to top the league with the best defensive record but Klopp is not resting on his laurels yet, especially with top scorer Mohamed Salah off to the Africa Cup of Nations next month.
"We had a lot of injuries, some players not involved once who are key players for us. Both left backs aren't in, which is really not good," Klopp said.
"But we found a way to the next game and found a way to compete. It all starts with defending - we don't concede all the time so we don't get desperate.
"So far it's ok. Better to be first than sixth."
Klopp's side host a struggling, ninth-placed Newcastle United who have won just one of their last seven games in all competitions, with Eddie Howe's team also contending with several injuries.
Newcastle have not beaten Liverpool since 2015 and have lost the last five encounters.
"We've had a couple of painful games against Liverpool but the positives from both of those games is that we've performed really well and we were competitive. We need to be near perfect in this game," Howe said.
LACK OF GOALS
Arsenal were top at Christmas for a second straight season but lost the opportunity to leapfrog leaders Liverpool when they fell at home to West Ham United on Thursday, five days after a draw at Anfield.
Mikel Arteta's side have won only one of their last four games to drop to second and a key factor for their struggles is goals drying up for their front three -- Gabriel Jesus, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli.
The trio have only three goals between them in the last five league games despite Arsenal creating numerous chances, especially at home.
"This is football, when the team generates that much normally you are going to win games," Arteta said.
"That's the way we've done it. Against Brighton, we generated so much, against Liverpool as well. But we score goals in different ways and we have to make another step in that area to win the game more comfortably."
Their poor form gives newly-crowned world champions City -- who have a game in hand -- the chance to move up level with Arsenal when they host bottom side Sheffield United on Saturday.
City are unbeaten at the Etihad in 19 games and though the last three have been draws, they have a 100% record against the Blades in six matches.
Third-placed Aston Villa are the surprise package of the season and Unai Emery's side face relegation-threatened Burnley while fifth-placed Spurs host a resurgent Bournemouth who have 19 points from their last seven games.
Manchester United will also look to get their season back on track when they travel to Nottingham Forest, where new boss Nuno Espirito Santo had an almost immediate impact when they beat Newcastle 3-1 at St. James' Park earlier this week.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
