Liverpool will be hoping to put their foot down during the final seven games of the season and reassert their dominance over the Premier League.
The Reds have been in a different class to everyone else this season, amassing an 11-point lead at the top of the table.
There has been a wobble over recent weeks, but Liverpool still look more than likely to lift the trophy as deserving champions in May.
Liverpool’s victory will end four years of consecutive Manchester City successes, with Pep Guardiola’s team sitting way back in fifth-place.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will still hold out faint hope of catching Liverpool, but look likely to finish up in second for a third straight season.
With the eyes of Liverpool’s rivals perhaps already turning to next season’s Premier League campaign, though, pundit Paul Merson has claimed that the Reds have just done something to deal a real blow to both City and Arsenal.
Liverpool deal Man City and Arsenal blow
There is surely no chance of City being as poor for a second season running next year. Guardiola has already spent a bomb in January and will likely add to that in the summer.
Meanwhile Arsenal look set to add a top striker and will be as hungry as ever to finally get their hands on the Premier League trophy.
As they plan their own summers, though, it’s probable both Guardiola and Arteta were banking on Liverpool losing both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk.
But with Salah and Van Dijk on the verge of new contracts, Merson has claimed that City, Arsenal and even Chelsea are about to be dealt some really bad news.
READ MORE: What Mohamed Salah has been saying ‘behind the scenes’ about his new Liverpool contract
“Massive, huge,” the pundit told Sky Sports when asked about the impending new contracts. “I didn’t expect any of them to sign if I’m being honest.”
“To get them two signed up with the amount of money they’d have been losing every week from not signing which could have two years ago, phenomenal. Bad news for Arsenal, bad news for Man City, bad news for Chelsea.
“Them two staying makes Liverpool very, very strong again next season. I thought if they lost them two or two of the three, I thought they’d be right up against it next season.”
Liverpool’s summer plans become clearer
As well as obviously being fantastic news for Liverpool, Salah and Van Dijk’s imminent renewals also make the Reds summer plans a little easier to make out.
Previously, it has been a guessing game as to whether Richard Hughes and Arne Slot would have to be looking for replacements for both players in the market.
But with the pair now virtually certain to stay, it can instruct what Liverpool do next.
No longer do they need a starting centre-back to replace Van Dijk or a new left-sided forward to come straight in and replicate what Salah has been doing for the past eight years.
Left-back, centre-forward and right-back remain the priorities, while another back-up centre-back or midfielder would not go amiss either. Whichever way you look at it, though, Liverpool will be stronger next season.
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