LIVERPOOL can strengthen their position at the top of the English Premier League (EPL) when they play mid-table Bournemouth this weekend.

Spluttering Arsenal – the runner-up last season – will hope for a slip-up from the Reds as they look to get their fading title challenge back on track against fellow London club Crystal Palace.

At the other end of the standings, Brentford’s Ivan Toney is expected to return to football after an eight-month ban as his team gets ready to face fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest.

Here are three talking points ahead of this weekend’s EPL action:

Mac Allister’s mark of success

Liverpool’s Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister says he is already planning to get a tattoo to mark what he hopes will be a season to remember as the rampant Reds chase trophies on four fronts.

Jurgen Klopp’s team are two points clear of second-placed defending champions Manchester City and can extend that lead to five points with a victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday (Monday 12.30 am kickoff, Singapore time).

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Despite top scorer Mohamed Salah’s continued absence as the Egyptian is on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last seven games in all competitions. They have firmly trained their sights set on winning the EPL, FA Cup, Carabao Cup and the Europa League – a feat that no English club has managed in a single season.

Snapped up from Brighton last summer, the 25-year-old Mac Allister has played a key role in Liverpool’s resurgence this season.

The flamboyant Argentina World Cup winner wants to get a tattoo to commemorate his country’s triumph in Qatar in 2022, and next on his body art to-do list will be inking any silverware that Liverpool manage to lift this season.

“I want to get my tattoo about the World Cup first and then of course, I will get something about Liverpool. Since the first day (I joined), I felt a really good connection with this club and I’m really happy to be here,” Mac Allister said. “(A tattoo of a trophy) would be nice. Maybe on my leg. Hopefully we can win something this year and I can get it done.”

Gunners on the rocks

With just one victory in their last seven matches in all competitions, Arsenal have suffered an untimely stumble that threatens to derail their bid for a first league title since 2004.

Mikel Arteta’s men will host Crystal Palace on Saturday (8.30 pm kickoff) on the back of three successive defeats against Liverpool in the FA Cup, and Fulham and West Ham in the EPL.

Arsenal were top of the table before Christmas but they have lost their way due to a fatal combination of poor finishing and sloppy defending.

A move to sign Brentford striker Ivan Toney could be on the cards as Arteta looks to add a more clinical cutting edge to his toothless attack.

Trailing Liverpool by five points, the fourth-placed Gunners have no margin for error and will hope their recent warm-weather training camp in Dubai has reinvigorated the squad.

Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus could return to face Palace after he missed the FA Cup defeat to Liverpool with a knee injury.

Toney return threatens Forest

Speaking of Toney, the 27-year-old English striker is likely to make his first Brentford appearance in eight months as he returns from a ban for breaching the Football Association’s gambling rules.

He took to social media to celebrate the end of his suspension this week by posting a GIF of a man holding his arms aloft in celebration, with the slogan “free!” on the bottom of the image.

Toney’s last competitive match was on May 6, but he has been allowed to train with his teammates since September.

Facing a fired-up Toney on Saturday (Sunday 1.30 am kickoff) will be a major concern for Nottingham Forest, who are just one point ahead of Brentford in the table.

Aware of the interest from Arsenal and Chelsea, Toney said: “Everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things.”

Forest are four points above the relegation zone, a situation that could get worse if they are hit with a points deduction penalty after admitting to financial breaches earlier this week.

The only other EPL fixture this weekend sees Sheffield United – the team propping up the EPL table and eight points from safety – hosting West Ham United on Sunday (10 pm kickoff). AFP