Three Premier League talking points

Arsenal increased their advantage at the summit of the Premier League after rivals Manchester City and Aston Villa both stumbled.

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank might soon face dismissal following yet another poor defeat, as Liverpool's inconsistent performances persisted.

AFP Sport examines three key discussion points from the weekend's matches:

Arsenal hold strong position

While Arsenal reflected on their 0-0 stalemate away at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, the main feeling was annoyance at not fully capitalising on Manchester City's 2-0 loss to Manchester United earlier that day.

However, only a day later, Mikel Arteta's team felt much more positive about their championship push following Aston Villa's unexpected 1-0 defeat at home to Everton.

Villa in third could have narrowed the gap to four points with a win, but now they trail by seven.

Back-to-back 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Forest in the league have highlighted Arsenal's intermittent weakness in scoring.

Yet Gunners forward Noni Madueke remains untroubled.

"We lacked sharpness in front of goal. Plenty of the season remains. We recognise our strong consistency and we will maintain it," he commented.

City, now second after four league matches without victory, also lag seven points back from the top after their loss to United in Michael Carrick's debut as manager.

"We have lost several points recently but we will battle right to the finish," said City midfielder Rodri.

Frank teeters on edge

Faced with demands for his removal from angry supporters, Thomas Frank claimed he senses "support from all sides", though the Tottenham coach's confidence could be misplaced.

Sunday reports indicated that Tottenham's leadership had convened to review Frank's position after Saturday's lacklustre 2-1 home loss to struggling West Ham.

Tottenham's third straight defeat and eighth reverse in 14 outings have seen them slump to 14th in the table.

Eliminated from both cup competitions already, the north London club is in turmoil mere months after appointing Frank to succeed the dismissed Ange Postecoglou.

The ex-Brentford manager has frustrated Tottenham fans with his uninspiring approach, and their poor outcomes have left him vulnerable.

Tottenham skipper Cristian Romero urged solidarity after delivering a sharp assessment of the chaos.

"This is tough and a real low point for us, but right now we require calm. Return to training, grind daily, and stick as a unit," he stated.

Van Dijk prepares for Liverpool meeting

Virgil van Dijk intends to convene a team discussion on Monday to tackle the problems risking Liverpool's push for Champions League spots.

Van Dijk expressed irritation over the carelessness that let low-ranked Burnley level the score in the 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday.

This marked the first occasion Liverpool had tied four league games in a row since 2008.

For the second time this term, the Reds captain is probing the squad, similar to after the October loss to Manchester United amid a streak of nine losses in 12 fixtures.

"I'm annoyed that post-60 minutes we grew careless, and it's not the initial instance," he remarked.

"We have discussed it before yet must revisit it, so Monday counts significantly.

"It's not solely my role to highlight it; it's about finding solutions since we all aim to secure victories."

Liverpool drew jeers from supporters after a performance that positioned them fourth, with Van Dijk noting: "I dislike hearing boos from our own crowd."