T

he race for Champions League qualification is starting to heat up with just seven points separating fourth-placed Arsenal and 7th-placed Liverpool, and both sides head into this weekend’s eagerly-anticipated clash on a high.

Arsenal, who looked dead and buried 35 minutes into last Sunday’s north-London derby against Tottenham, pulled off a remarkable comeback to beat their arch-rivals 5-2, wresting fourth spot back from Chelsea in the process.

Liverpool, on the other hand, won their first trophy in six years, although they struggled against a stubborn Cardiff outfit, before seeing off their Welsh opponents in a penalty shootout in a memorable Carling Cup final.

While Sunday’s triumph means the Reds are guaranteed European football next season, you can be sure Kenny Dalglish will still be going all out to qualify for the Champions League, and they get to take a significant step towards that goal by beating the Gunners on Saturday.

Liverpool will be buoyed by their impressive record against the Premier League’s big guns this season, having recorded excellent wins over Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as creditable draws against Manchester City and Manchester United.

However, Dalglish would do well to be cautious in his approach when the Gunners visit on Saturday, for they are capable of beating any team on their day, as they showed last Sunday.

As things stand, a draw for Arsenal at Anfield would not exactly be the worst result, considering Liverpool are unbeaten at home this season. On the other hand, victory for the Reds would mean their quest for Champions League qualification would well and truly be back on, especially with a game in hand on their rivals.

Despite being hammered by their arch-rivals on Sunday, Tottenham still look certain to hold on to third place and qualify for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons.

I’ve said all season that Spurs were never in contention to challenge City and United for the title, but they will still pose a stern test to the latter when both sides meet at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Like Arsenal, Tottenham has the ability to beat any team in the country on their day, and they will surely give United a good run for their money, considering the Red Devils have been far from convincing in their recent performances against Ajax and Norwich.

I expect Sir Alex Ferguson to be slightly worried ahead of this weekend’s trip to north London, especially with his side is lacking a cutting edge at the moment. However, they will be buoyed by their recent record at White Hart Lane, where they have not lost in their last ten visits.

Last week, I mentioned how both Arsene Wenger and Andre Villas-Boas were under severe pressure, and while both Arsenal and Chelsea got back to winning ways over the weekend, I stand by what I said.

One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and while I agree Arsenal’s victory over Spurs was a fantastic result, Wenger has to start getting results on a consistent basis. Anything less than Champions League qualification will still be regarded as a failure this season.

For Villas-Boas, their 3-0 win over Bolton was a welcome boost but far from inspiring. They will have sterner tests in the coming weeks and, like Wenger, the pass mark remains a spot in next season’s Champions League.