Arsenal next five fixtures compared to Liverpool and Man City after return to top form

Arsenal are a different (and much better) team with Martin Odegaard, who knew? Well, despite entering the weekend nine points behind Liverpool and already faces questions of their Premier League title credentials, the return of one player has sparked talk of the fight being far from over.

Odegaard doesn't just have a positive imnpact on the atmosphere and feel to things at Arsenal, he dictates it. There should be no downplaying or ignoring just how important his return to the Emirates Stadium has been.

Against Chelsea he produced a pass that nobody else in the team could from a position most others can't see, let alone access so quitely and deftly. Here, at the centre of a truly dominant 3-0 win over the high-flying and impressive Nottingham Forest side visiting, he was imperious.

Even without Ben White as the third point on an right-sided axis of dreams with Bukayo Saka, Odegaard had the game dripping off him. His touches were perfect, finding the pace of the game and then setting it. The performance deserved an assist, with Saka doing all of the hard work (and then some) for a smashing opener.

From there, Arsenal were never in doubt. Not just the result, but the feel of the game. Things were so comfortable and so wrapped up that even Arteta, a cautious rotater of players, was able to withdraw Odegaard and bring on Raheem Sterling. Perhaps the only regret is that Ethan Nwaneri hasn't had more opportunities during the period without Odegaard.

In the coming weeks he'll have the chance to add to his first Premier League goal. The month and a bit before the New Year also represents a run for Arsenal that could define just how closely they will be challenging for an illusive title.

Here, football.london has their next five Premier League fixtures analysed and compared to their two most likely title rivals, Manchester City and Liverpool.

West Ham (A) - Saturday, November 30

Perhaps the biggest threat in this game for Arsenal will be complacency because West Ham have not been very good this season, at all. There is a reason they entered the weekend in 14th spot, and even that looks high given some of the performances.

Coming after a trickty Champions League clash against Sporting CP - who are now without Ruben Amorim but did still beat Manchester 4-1 before the international break - it will be a test for the legs and of squad management for Arteta. Arsenal will enter the game as huge favourites and rightly so, though.

Manchester United (H) - Wednesday, December 4

After West Ham it is straight back into Premier League action and an early siting of Amorim's United. Midweek, under the lights, it's all there for a good game.

Arsenal should be confident that even a more organised and less Erik ten Hag-y United won't have the quality here, though. If Arteta can have his players replicate the control and danger they showed against Forest then even the atmosphere and rivalry of a match against Manchester United shouldn't be enough to stop them from three points.

Fulham (A) - Sunday, December 8

Marco Silva's Fulham continue to impress as they go under the radar. To many Arsenal followers, though, they are like a second team. With Alex Iwobi, Emile Smith Rowe, Reiss Nelson, and Bernd Leno, there are plenty of familiar faces. It was this game last season, at this stage of the season, that a costly bad patch happened, and that will be impossible to ignore in this matchup.

Fulham have serious quality and solidity about them. They will be up for getting one over a London rival, too. This is banana-skin territory for Arsenal.

Everton (H) - Saturday, December 14

If Fulham are possible banana-skins then so are Everton. The fortunate thing is that Sean Dyche's side are once more languishing down the table. They have only scored 10 goals so far this season - the joint-second fewest - and remain uninspiring.

Stop Iliman Ndiaye and you stop Everton. Dwight McNeil can be effective as well from a central role but isn't quite the star man that Ndiaye is. Everton are another team who have caused Arsenal issues in the past but will have to do somethig pretty speical to get anything from the Emirates Stadium.

Crystal Palace (A) - Saturday, December 21

Palace have gone from lookinglike a contender for European football to being in a relegation battle. That's what losing Micahel Olise can do and now Eberechi Eze is out with injury there are problems for Oliver Glasner to solve.

The Eagles do have quality throughout their squad make things uncomfortable if they get it right, and this match will see Eddie Nketiah pitted against his former side for the first time since a summer transfer, but even at Selhurst Park Arsenal will fancy themselves. Deep into the winter fixture list, it is not the sort of game to be dropping points in.

Liverpool next five Premier League fixtures

Southampton (A) - Sunday, November 24.

Manchester City (H) - Sunday, December 1.

Newcastle (A) - Wednesday, December 4.

Everton (A) - Saturday, December 7.

Fulham (H) - Saturday, December 14.

Manchester City next five Premier League fixtures

Tottenham (H) - Saturday, December 23.

Liverpool (A) - Sunday, December 1.

Nottingham Forest (H) - Wednesday, December 4.

Crystal Palace (A) - Saturday, December 7.

Manchester United (H) - Sunday, December 15.