Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool: "Arsenal are catchable because..." - The importance of a win for Arne Slot in the title race

Liverpool will only be able to catch Arsenal in the Premier League title race if they start to play consistently at their highest level, starting against Tottenham Hotspur, Reds expert David Lynch has insisted.

Arne Slot's side are set to travel to London, where they will face Tottenham on Saturday, and a win could see them end the afternoon in the top four.

The Merseysiders are currently two points from fourth-placed Chelsea, but while the gap to first-placed Arsenal stands at 10 points, fans have started to look up the table now that the club are unbeaten in their past five games.

Lynch was sceptical about the Reds' ability to find the consistency needed to mount a title charge, but argued that Arsenal are flawed enough to be caught, when he told Sports Mole: "That gap is closeable, and it's not completely crazy to say that it's possible to overtake them.

"The reason Liverpool are out of the title race at the moment is their performances, as while we have seen a slight uptick, there's a lot of dour football. They were a bit miserable to watch, and yet still threw the game against Leeds, and Sunderland wasn't a great point at home.

"If they suddenly started playing to their potential then maybe. Arsenal are catchable because what you're seeing at the moment is them going through a period where their difficulties creating from open play are starting to bite them. If I was an Arsenal supporter, I'd be looking over my shoulder at Manchester City."

Arsenal have drawn two, lost one and won three of their past six matches in the Premier League, and any dropped points on Saturday against Everton could open up the possibility of Liverpool getting a foothold in the title race.

Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool preview: Why Slot has to win

Spurs come into the weekend's clash having suffered four defeats in their seven most recent top-flight fixtures, claiming victory just once in that period.

Boss Thomas Frank is under severe pressure, especially as his relationship with fans has become increasingly strained.

Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch labelled Liverpool as strong favourites, saying: "Spurs have been particularly bad at home, so even if it's an away game for Liverpool, there's no real excuse despite it looking like a tough one on paper.

"Tottenham away in any season would typically be a difficult game, but it just isn't at the moment, and the form that they're showing means there's real pressure on the manager. If they can get an early goal, things could turn toxic in the stadium.

"Liverpool have corrected their own form a little bit as well, and while they shouldn't be going there confident and flying, they should certainly feel like they're the better side of the two."

Spurs only produced one shot on target when they lost 3-0 against Nottingham Forest last weekend, and a similar performance in the final third on Saturday would boost Liverpool's chances of victory.

Liverpool team news: Will Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike start?

Now that Mohamed Salah is no longer part of the Liverpool squad due to his participation in the Africa Cup of Nations with Egypt, Slot's options up front are limited.

Cody Gakpo is unavailable because of injury, and his absence means the club only have three senior forwards to choose from up front.

Lynch was in favour of starting both Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike together in a front two, telling Sports Mole: "I'd like to see two up top as a minimum against Spurs.

"Sticking with that diamond midfield, or a flat 4-4-2 which we have seen from time to time, is the way to go. It makes Liverpool solid and it gets your best attackers on the pitch, with Isak and Ekitike alongside each other if possible.

"I love the idea of Wirtz at the tip of a diamond. He seems to be a really good fit for that role, and he is really starting to come into form. With Salah away and Gakpo injured, you're not necessarily tied to a system with wingers, so get your best players out there."

Slot has experimented with a diamond midfield in recent matches, with a combination of forwards playing together in the frontline, and he is likely to deploy a similar system on Saturday.

> Click here to listen to the full discussion on Liverpool's match against Tottenham Hotspur