For a team that has just lost its one remaining fit striker for the remainder of the campaign, there's a surprising amount of optimism coming out of the Arsenal camp following Liverpool's draw against Everton. Paul Merson became the latest to suggest that the Gunners have been handed a chance.
Aiming for a therapeutic reset in Dubai, Mikel Arteta has instead returned with Kai Havertz out for the season, with the German joining Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus in the treatment room. And with Liverpool having now played its game in hand, the gap at the top of the Premier League table has actually extended, with Arsenal now 7 points adrift.
Nevertheless, the failure of Arne Slot's men to increase the gap to nine points has buoyed spirits in North London. Despair when Mohamed Salah found the net turned to joy when Everton equalized in controversial circumstances.
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According to Merson, the title race is now entering a defining period. He believes that Liverpool has three upcoming games in particular that could prove decisive.
"I thought Loverpool had the Premier League in their hands in the last minute," Merson told Sky Sports. "And then Tarkowski comes up, scores an unbelievable goal.
"Arsenal has got injuries, but has been given a chance. They're seven points behind. Arsenal plays before Liverpool this weekend. They've got Leicester, if they win that they go four points behind.
"They [Liverpool] play Wolves at home, Wolves is going to be a hard game. It doesn't look like it on paper, but Wolves have got a free swing, had a big result last week, the week before [a win over Aston Villa and a cup triumph over Blackburn Rovers].
"Then they've got Villa away, Man City away, Newcastle at home. I think those three games will define whether Liverpool go on and win the league by the middle of March, or if we're going to have an unbelievable finish to the season once again."
In fairness to Merson, those do look like three tricky games. In theory, Wolves will be a good chance to get back to winning ways, but then it's an intense sequence of top-eight encounters, two of which come on the road.
But these Liverpool games will only prove significant if Arsenal can take care of its own business. The Leicester match should be straightforward, and West Ham at home shouldn't be too complicated either, but any game could be a banana skin amid the attacking injury problems.
And after those two matches, Arteta has to navigate a potentially tricky sequence as well. Forty-five minutes before Liverpool kicks off against Newcastle, Arsenal will have got underway against Nottingham Forest.
Currently, just three points separate those two sides in second and third. It's unlikely to be an easy game.
And even if Arsenal does manage to close the gap to Liverpool by the time these fixtures are played at the end of the month, it then has to navigate Manchester United and Chelsea. It has already lost in the cup to Ruben Amorim's side, while it drew in the reverse fixture against the Blues.
Ultimately, every Premier League game between now and the end of the season is important, and the result is not a given in any of them. But with the leeway to draw at least three times, Liverpool will still feel well in control of things, and Arsenal's apparent fixture advantage may yet prove illusory.
