Man City Target Perfect 10, Villa's Rise Meets Newcastle Test

Manchester City are turning up the heat on Arsenal in the Premier League title race as Pep Guardiola's men target a 10th consecutive win when lowly Leicester visit the Etihad on Saturday. Arsenal's six-point lead at the top of the table could be halved by the time they visit West Ham on Sunday. Both matches will also have a bearing on the battle to beat the drop with only six points separating Leicester in 19th from Wolves in 13th.

In-form Aston Villa could force their way into the top-four race when third-placed Newcastle visit Villa Park.

Manchester United are also looking to take a step closer to next season's Champions League at Nottingham Forest.

AFP Sport looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the action.

City hit top form

Leicester look like lambs to the slaughter ahead of their trip to the Etihad due to the contrasting form of both clubs.

Dean Smith will take charge of the Foxes for the first time after a nine-game winless run that has seen them slip to second bottom in the Premier League.

City, on the other hand, have scored 34 goals in winning their last nine, including a 3-0 demolition of Bayern Munich in midweek.

Despite the gap at the top, the title race is back in City's hands as they have played a game fewer than Arsenal and also host the Gunners in their next league game after this weekend on April 26.

Erling Haaland took his tally for the season to 45 against Bayern on Tuesday and the Norwegian has more records within his reach on Saturday.

Haaland needs just two more goals to match Mohamed Salah's Premier League record of 32 in a 38-game season.

Arsenal had matched City's recent run stride-for-stride until they stumbled in a 2-2 draw at Liverpool last weekend to blow the title race wide open