Level on 21 points, City host Brighton and Arsenal visit Liverpool

Manchester City and Arsenal start the ninth round of the Premier League level on 21 points, and both leaders meet the clubs directly below them. City host third-placed Brighton on Saturday, three days after needing a shootout to get past the same side in the Carabao Cup. Arsenal travel to fourth-placed Liverpool on Sunday, still sore from a cup exit against League Two Fleetwood Town.

The gap in numbers

Both leaders have won seven of their eight league games and lost one. City are top on goal difference: 20 scored and 9 conceded (+11), against Arsenal's 13 and 5 (+8). Brighton are five points back on 16 and have scored 23, more than anyone in the division. Liverpool sit fourth on 15 with four wins, three draws and one defeat.

Last weekend, City lost 2-1 at Aston Villa while Arsenal beat Everton 2-0. Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 at Anfield, Alexander Isak scoring his sixth league goal of the season; only City's Erling Haaland, on nine, has more.

City v Brighton, part two

Wednesday's cup tie at the Etihad finished 2-2. Brighton led twice, through Malick Yalcouye and Georginio Rutter, before Mateo Kovacic and a Rayan Cherki free-kick that deflected in off City's Vitor Reis drew City level. Back-up goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli then saved from Yasin Ayari and Lewis Dunk, and Cherki scored the decisive kick for a 4-3 shootout win.

City coach Enzo Maresca made nine changes from the Villa defeat and gave Haaland, Rúben Dias, Elliot Anderson, Josko Gvardiol and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma three days off. BBC Sport reports that Rulli will be back on the bench against Brighton. Asked whether Rulli had put pressure on Donnarumma, Maresca told BBC Sport: "Rulli knows exactly his role, there is no doubt about that." He expects the same Brighton: "Brighton always go front foot, man to man. It will be exactly the same on Saturday."

Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler called City lucky and looked ahead: "We will analyse this game and we have a great chance on Saturday to take revenge."

Arsenal's trip to Anfield

Arsenal were knocked out on Tuesday, losing 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw with Fleetwood, who are 18th in League Two. Arsenal's 16-year-old Max Dowman was sent off late on for kicking out at Harrison Neal after a heavy challenge. According to the Evening Standard, Arsenal are appealing the red card; as it stands, he faces a three-match ban that rules him out at Liverpool and against Hull and Newcastle, and the timing of a verdict is up to the FA.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is already short on the right. Arsenal's Bukayo Saka has a quad injury that could keep him out until Christmas, the Standard reports, and right winger Noni Madueke, who scored the only goal at Nottingham Forest on 18 October, missed the cup tie with an ankle problem. Arsenal's Declan Rice (hamstring) and Riccardo Calafiori were also left out of the squad, though the Standard says Arsenal are optimistic Madueke and Rice will be fit for Sunday.

Liverpool arrive in form. Andoni Iraola's side beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw, with four youngsters in the starting line-up, for a fifth straight win in all competitions. Speaking of three home wins in a row, Iraola told Sky Sports: "Now we have the confidence of winning three in a row and now we have the biggest one against Arsenal on Sunday."

What the weekend can change

A Brighton win at the Etihad would cut their gap to City to two points. A Liverpool win over Arsenal would bring them within three of the Gunners. If both leaders win, they will sit eight points clear of Brighton and nine clear of Liverpool.