Arsenal looks to strengthen top spot ahead of Hull

Defending champions Arsenal look to extend their upward momentum in the English Premier League and secure a fifth consecutive victory to strengthen their grip on the top spot when they host Hull City on Saturday in the tenth round.

Arsenal (24 points) enter the match with high morale following their valuable 1-0 away win against Liverpool in the previous round, marking their first Premier League victory at Anfield in 14 years.

The London club has known only the language of victory in the league since their surprising 3-0 defeat to Brighton on September 19, having triumphed over Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Everton, and the Reds.

The task for the title holders, who beat Czech side Slavia Prague 2-1 away in the UEFA Champions League, will not be easy as they face Hull, who sit eleventh with 11 points.

Hull hope to secure a positive result at home after failing to win in their last seven league matches, which yielded five draws and two defeats. Their last victory came on August 29, when they beat Coventry City 1-0 away.

In another match, second-placed Manchester City (21 points) aim to bounce back when they visit nineteenth-placed Nottingham Forest (6 points).

After an ideal start to the season with seven consecutive league wins, City lost their grip on the top of the table after suffering back-to-back defeats to Aston Villa and Brighton.

Manager Enzo Maresca’s side has no alternative but to secure all three points at Nottingham’s stronghold if they wish to avoid falling too far behind in the title race, which they missed out on in the past two seasons.

Nottingham, meanwhile, hope to capitalize on home advantage and crowd support to claim all three points and record their second league win of the season, their first since a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa on September 12.

In two other fixtures, Leeds United face Tottenham, who are recovering, while Fulham take on Newcastle, who are struggling.