Liverpool handed Premier League title boost ahead of Leicester as Arsenal hope fades

Liverpool have been handed a boost in their quest to lift the Premier League title, with defender Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to training after a month out with an ankle injury.

The right-back has missed the last four matches, which included the Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle, after being forced off in the exit to Paris St Germain. The 26-year-old was pictured with his team-mates at the club’s AXA training complex on Wednesday, although it remains to be seen if Sunday’s trip to Leicester comes too soon for his return to action.

Alexander-Arnold potentially has only six matches remaining at his boyhood club with the continuation of his 20-year association in doubt as he has been strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid when his contract expires at the end of the season.

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Striker Darwin Nunez is likely to be available for the Leicester game, having missed the weekend win over West Ham with illness, as Arne Slot’s side go in search of the first of two wins which will guarantee the Premier League title – although an Arsenal defeat at Ipswich would mean three points at the King Power would clinch a record-equalling 20th championship.

Speaking earlier this month, Slot insisted he was not thinking about lifting the title. “In theory so many things can happen," the Dutchman said after beating Everton.

“Again, we felt yesterday how hard it is to win a Premier League game. I think (Everton boss) David Moyes deserves a lot of credit for how his team was lined up, how difficult they made it for us. It’s nice for us that we beat them because we know how hard it is.

“That also tells you that with eight games to go, it’s every time a challenge, starting Sunday against Fulham, who are having a very good season as well. We are not working on theories about how many points this is, this, this. We are taking the challenge of Fulham on for Sunday, where we have to be at our best again, like yesterday, to get a result.”

He added: “We’ve played 30 games now. Maybe there were three or four where the score was so clear that in the last 20 minutes it wasn’t a problem anymore. Almost all of our other games have been really tight. That probably tells you as well how big of an accomplishment it is that we are 12 points clear at the moment and doing so well.

“It’s not like the team that won the league the last four times (Manchester City), where so many times, 20 minutes before the end, or at half-time, already 3-0 or 4-0 up. That’s not our season. That’s why I have to give so much credit to our players, because if you every time have to fight with a one-goal lead or you were one goal down, that’s probably even harder than being 3-0 or 4-0 up at half-time.”