Arsenal are six points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool and will be without the injured Gabriel Martinelli for more than a month, but there is one thing working in Mikel Arteta’s favour with regards to the title race.

Domestic cups have been a source of disappointment for the Gunners this season. Their Carabao Cup campaign was ended by a 4-0 aggregate loss to Newcastle United, with the second leg at St James’ Park going the way of the Magpies earlier this week.

Arsenal’s bid for FA Cup glory ended in the third round, as Manchester United pipped them in a penalty shootout at the Emirates. Arteta’s men are still in Premier League and Champions League contention, whereas Liverpool can win a quadruple with a flawless end to the season.

The Merseysiders’ various commitments mean they are in store for a busy lead-up to the Carabao Cup final on March 16. While Arsenal only have five Premier League matches and a two-legged Champions League last 16 tie to contend with, the Reds’ fixture schedule is absolutely packed.

Starting with an FA Cup fourth-round trip to Plymouth Argyle on Sunday, Liverpool must also complete six Premier League matches, a two-legged Champions League clash and the Carabao Cup final itself in the same time period.

And if they get past Plymouth, an FA Cup fifth-round tie will be thrown in for good measure. Over the next 36 days, Arsenal are set to play seven matches, while Liverpool could play up to 11.

A ratio of approximately one match every five days for Arsenal is far more favourable than Liverpool’s one in three. And while the Gunners’ squad is being stretched to its limits by injuries, including the one Martinelli suffered against Newcastle last time out, Arne Slot’s will be tested by the fixture list in what could be a crucial five weeks for the title race.

The former Feyenoord boss has already got through the congested festive schedule, which often takes some getting used to for foreign managers. And at the time he did not seem daunted by leading the team through so many quick-fire games.

He said: “When you are in this league you sometimes feel, OK, a few days, a few weeks off would be… maybe not good for me because I had my days off during the international breaks when the national teams played. For the players it’s definitely beneficial to have one or two weeks off, but it is not the situation.

“It was a bit of a surprise for me to see us not having that energy at Girona [in December] as we usually have, so maybe it is a good thing for us that we play so many games.”