Both Arsenal and Manchester United come away from the weekend with their tails in between their legs, looking to quickly forget about Liverpool and Fulham and get a positive result. The question is not which team will win, but which will lose?

Many people believed that the Liverpool game was the start of a massive run of games which would define our season, and we could not have failed more spectacularly. The game was effectively over as contest after 16 minutes and Arsenal never looked like gaining their composure and getting back into the game. As time went on things got worse and worse and we ended up losing 5-1. In all honesty, it could have been a lot more.

Arsenal and Liverpool were polar opposites. Liverpool were the ones with the drive, determination, pace, decisive play and energy to win all three points while Arsenal weren’t at the races. If the match was a race, we would have been the poor lame horse that would have been put down.

Manchester United faired little better. At home they drew to Fulham, a side who are firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premier League. Theoretically speaking they couldn’t have had an easier game but still failed to take home all three points.

So Wednesday will see two heavyweights of the Premier League to head to head. Arsenal are devoid of any confidence after the battering at Anfield while Manchester United are struggling for any sort of consistency under David Moyes. But despite that, they still beat us comfortably at Old Trafford earlier this season.

Manchester United have been poor this season, but they still have the ability to lift their game in the biggest contests. Unlike other sides in the Premier League, Arsenal won’t sit back and make it hard for Manchester United to get through. Players like Juan Mata, Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney will have the chance to exploit the space Arsenal will leave and you would be stupid to think they won’t be any threat because of their current form.

The pressure will be on Arsenal to in both a performance and seal all three points. Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans know better than anyone that Wednesday marks a massive game in our season and Manchester United will know that. They also know that a draw would be seen as a disaster for Arsenal and a triumph for David Moyes.

All the expectation, pressure and expectancy is on Arsenal.

David Moyes will use this to his advantage and will know that if the game is still tied after an hour the Arsenal fans will get tetchy and the atmosphere will turn.

The big question is can Arsenal recover from the disastrous performance and result at Anfield and pick themselves up for Wednesday? I guess we’ll have to just wait and see.

We’ve just completed Gameweek 24 of the campaign, we’re almost two thirds of the way through the season and there’s 14 games remaining.

And Arsenal still sit at the top of the Premier League table.

Yet the majority of people who follow football, and that includes some Arsenal fans, still believe Manchester City and Chelsea have more chance of winning the league.

And that’s what the bookies would certainly have you believe.

The thing is though, why are we so negative?

Yes, Manchester City have been firing on all cylinders, and yes, Chelsea are formidable, but the fact of the matter is that we’re top after 24 games of the season.

That’s no fluke.

And it’s also a fact that for all of their superstars, their bottomless pit of money and all of the goals they keep scoring, for the majority of the season we’ve been ahead of Manchester City at the top of the league. And the same goes for Chelsea (except for the goals obviously).

I have been guilty of this as well, but why are Arsenal fans so pessimistic?

Arsenal are top by 2 clear points, and yet it’s the Manchester City and Chelsea fans who are optimistic about lifting the Premier League trophy in May. Arsenal fans however worry about the fixture list, injuries and other aspects of the team.

We’ve had a couple of blips but over the last 24 games, you have to say we’ve been sensational – and the facts back that up. Our defense has been outstanding, we score goals from almost every position and the table doesn’t like. The players obviously have the believe (and it’s coming through in their determined performances) so why aren’t the fans the same?

The simple reason is probably because we haven’t been in this position in a long time. The last time we really looked like winning the title (or at least challenging for it) was in the 2007/2008 season. Eduardo and Adebayor were on fire, Cesc, Hleb, Rosicky and Flamini were dominating games and we had a solid defensive unit. And we all know if it wasn’t for that fathful day in Birmingham, we probably would have gone on and won the league that season.

But since then we’ve been fighting for 4th place. This season however, with only really two signings (Flamini and Ozil) we’ve gone up another level.

It’s amazing to think that for Manchester City’s “scintillating” form and Chelsea’s “dogged determination” we are still above them. That is a huge testament to what the current management and playing staff have done this year.

Arsenal fans were also downbeat about the lack of signings in the transfer window. But if any man can find a way through this tough period of games over the next two months, it’s Arsene Wenger.

#COYG

Well there’s a result I wasn’t expecting.

It’s great for us as we stay 2 points clear at the top of the league and it’s also great because Manchester City have lost that “invincibility” that the media have gone nuts about over the last few months.

As Manchester City win game after game at The Etihad, the stronger and stronger they become. Now that the record has gone, they might start to lose a few more points at home.

Chelsea had a gameplan and carried it out perfectly. Everyone is raving about Chelsea today and you can see why. They dominated the strongest squad in the league by far and should have scored two or three more. While it’s hardly going to be the collapse of Manchester City at home, opposing teams will think twice now about “parking the bus” and might try and give it a go at The Etihad.

The problem both Manchester City and Chelsea have at this moment in time is not the performances against the top sides – they always up their game for the showcase matches – it’s their performances against the lesser sides. Only last week Chelsea drew against relegation candidates West Ham, and Manchester City have also stumbled to lower league opposition.

The Premier League table doesn’t lie and while our record against the “top sides” isn’t the best, we’re top of the league because we’ve been the best side over 24 games.

Manchester City will no doubt bounce back this weekend and score 50 goals against Norwich, and Chelsea should beat Newcastle at Stamford Bridge, so it’s vital we can go to Anfield in the days early kick off and get all 3 points. But with Suarez and Sturridge on form, that will be a tough ask.

As well as executing the perfect masterplan, Mourinho was also a bit mischievous in his post game interviews and press conferences. Despite now only being 2 points behind the league leaders, he insisted this season was about “transition” and his aim was purely a Top Four spot. We all know Mourimho isn’t fooling anyone and that he’s a born winner.

At the moment at least, it looks like this is turning into a three horse race, and there’s no small horse Jose.