Top and bottom will both have very different goals in the Premier League this weekend as Liverpool chase a record and Norwich try to boost their survival hopes.
Juergen Klopp’s men travel to second-bottom Watford 22 points clear of Manchester City in second and needing just 12 more points for their first top-flight title since 1990.
Victory over Nigel Pearson’s side would give them a 19th straight league win, breaking the record they share with Manchester City from 2017.
Klopp and his side will still not countenance talk the title is done and dusted but three more points on Saturday evening will put them ever closer to breaking their 30-year drought.
“Obviously we’re quite close but they’re four very tough games,” full back Trent Alexander-Arnold told Liverpool’s website.
“Anything can happen in the Premier League and we’ve learned that over the course of our time playing in it, it’s difficult for us.”
Watford are also fighting for their lives, one point short of safety with 11 games to go.
“Going to Watford is not an easy task and teams have learned that over the course of the season,” Alexander-Arnold said.
“We learned that when they came here, it was a tough game. We scored in the last minute in that game, so it was a tight one. And we understand that, with the new manager that they’ve brought in, it’s difficult to break them down.
“So for us, our mentality needs to be 100 per cent and we just need to focus on that and then after that we’ll focus on the next game.”
With second-placed Manchester City playing in the League Cup final on Sunday, third-placed Leicester City can close the gap if they win at Norwich on Friday.
But the match holds even more significance for Norwich as they fight for survival. Six points adrift at the bottom, victory over Leicester would give them a huge morale boost.
Full back Max Aarons said the side needed to show a reaction after losing easily to Wolves last time out.
“They’re obviously a great side,” Aarons told Norwich’s website.
“They’ve got youth and energy as well as a large amount of experience, so it’s no surprise that they’re at the top end of the table.
“They’re fighting for a Champions League position as well, so they’ll be coming with a lot of intent but so are we. We want to get out of our position and it’s time to do so.”
“We knew coming into this division that there would be lots of ups and downs.
“We’d have liked there to be more ups than there have been until this point, but all we can do is keep battling and keep fighting and that’s what we will do.”
The battle for the top four continues with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham, separated by just four points from fourth to sixth, all in action.
Fourth-placed Chelsea travel to Bournemouth, fifth-placed United are at Everton and Tottenham host Wolves.
Third-bottom West Ham host Southampton, Brighton meet Crystal Palace and Newcastle play Burnley in the weekend’s other matches.
