Mark Bosnich: The game that could crack Arsenal's title hopes; pressure mounts on Tottenham's Ange successor

The festive period is always a very intense period in the Premier League, with some clubs playing four games in 14 days, but it is also a time when the cracks begin to show.

In a 38-game season, no matter how good you are or where you sit on the table, there will always be a time when the results aren't going well.

Now is the time to see if it is Arsenal's turn to have a bit of a rough patch.

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If it is, the trick is going to be to make sure that the rough patch isn't too long, especially considering they have their sights set on the title.

Liverpool lost nine out of 12, and that was too long. I wouldn't completely rule them out of the title race, but that is way too long for a team to slump if they want to be top contenders.

A loss or a draw is all it will take for Arsenal to lose their spot atop the table, with a Manchester City win this week set to push them into first on to goal difference.

Everton away is a very difficult game for the Gunners and then they have to back up for a Carabao Cup quarter final against Crystal Palace on Christmas Eve (AEDT).

It's a tough period for them, yet it can also swing the other way. But there will be some doubts appearing in the minds of fans, players and the team's management.

They got their luck against Wolves with an own goal in added time. But when you look at teams like Chelsea, for example, they are only eight points behind in the title race. City are just two points behind and Aston Villa are three.

The last three seasons, coming runners-up, it's been little blips that have cost them.

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If you're losing in these upcoming games against Everton, Brighton and Aston Villa, even if you're down in the dumps and things aren't going your way, a champion team must find a way to get a draw or win. That's a really important thing in the long term for a team.

We're not even halfway through the season but if you look back at little battles like the Wolves match and say 'Well, we may not have come through this period great overall, but it could've been a lot worse'.

Aston Villa are going to give a strong indication of whether they are a real threat in the title race when they face Manchester United on Monday.

I am biased because they are my former team, but it is amazing to think that the Villains are just three points off the top after starting the season without winning a game in the first five Premier League.

It will be a phenomenal game, in my opinion, it is the game of the round.

Chelsea are a dark horse for the title, but we're also going to find out more about if they are truly in the fight over this festive period. They know that Newcastle will not be easy to defeat at St James' Park.

But I thought that game against Arsenal, where they were down to 10 men for almost an hour, was tremendous. And I believe they have come a very long way under Enzo Maresca.

All or nothing for Thomas Frank

Is there more on the line for Tottenham or Liverpool in this week's game? The answer is clear. It is a match that Tottenham or Liverpool manager Thomas Frank cannot afford to lose.

Frank is under a lot of pressure at the moment. The club's fans are slowly drifting offside and his team are being booed by supporters after poor results both home and away.

He did get off to a good start, but then things turned and they are stuck in a very tough patch. You just need to look at their home record this season to see how badly things have turned; their home record is pathetic.

If the table were just based on their home record, they would be 17th, which is where they ended up last season under Ange Postecoglou. That is not good at all. Away from home, they would be third on the table.

Two wins in their last eight games across all competitions is not good, but nor is the fact that they've only won one of their last seven in the Premier League. That is poor form.

Liverpool have been under similar pressure, but they have come out of that rough spell and are now on a half-decent run, with three wins and two losses in the past five games.

They're set to face Tottenham away, Leeds and Wolves at home, before they then come up against Arsenal. All of those games before Arsenal are very winnable games.

Liverpool are only 10 points off the top of the table and while that is a very big mountain to climb to get near the lead, it's still catchable for a team of Liverpool's calibre.

The next four games are winnable for the Reds, but they want to make sure that if Arsenal are to go through their poor period they can capitalise on it.

One flaw that could rattle Palace's run

Nottingham Forest were the unlikely team to watch throughout the 2024-25 season, but this year, Crystal Palace are following a similar narrative on their path to the top.

The one difference between the two teams could be a spot in the Champions League.

I think Palace are going to give that fifth position a real shake, but the playing group has to be ready to not let their guard down in wake of news around their manager's future.

Oliver Glasner has reportedly opted against pursuing contract talks with Crystal Palace for the time being, suggesting that he will not be in charge of the club at the season's end. It is no surprise that he has refused to sign a new deal as he would be in demand following the club's success.

But, from my own experience in the league, I've seen players that when it is announced that their manager is leaving, there has been a tendency for teams to slack off a little bit.

There have been exceptions, but hopefully that doesn't happen to Crystal Palace or Glasner because depending on the England's coefficient points - a system where the two nations with the most amount of points based on the clubs who are representing them in European leagues - that they are awarded an extra spot in the Champions League.

I think they have a huge chance of securing a Champions League spot.

They are a real force and they've shown that this year. They won their first major trophy in their history in the FA Cup the end of last season. They're a really good shout to win the Conference League and they're in fifth position in the Premier League.

Coming up for them is a trip away to Leeds before a quarter final against Arsenal, then a clash against Tottenham at home. With the way they're playing, there's no reason why they can't come through that three-game spell unbeaten.