1. Lack of discipline leaves Liverpool short
One of the big casualties of the defeat against United was the dramatic sending-off of Steven Gerrard, just 38 seconds after his appearance as a substitute. He has struggled for fitness and form lately, so his absence may not be felt as strongly as it once was, but the same cannot be said of Martin Skrtel. The defender was given a retrospective ban after a stamp on David de Gea, which means Brendan Rodgers will be without his first-choice centre-back and may be forced to call on the likes of Kolo Toure or Glen Johnson, who have failed to impress this season.

2. Can Arsenal challenge for the title?
Arsene Wenger's men have been on a terrific run of form in the league, with six wins in a row shooting them up the table into third. Once considered most likely to miss out on the final Champions League spot, Arsenal are now outsiders for the title, and given their form could be the closest challengers for Chelsea. The Gunners will be confident and an added steel to their play has seen them pick up wins over Manchester City and United in recent times, with Francis Coquelin and Santi Cazorla key to their recent success, but the expected absence of Danny Welbeck could hit them hard, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain already out.