This is my take on the EPL at the moment. I think it would be more difficult for Arsenal to battle it out with Manchester City now that City have got all key players back in the team. Arsenal seem to be the ones who have lost their form. Aston Villa are also firing at the moment but I doubt they can maintain the momentum for too long. Liverpool also don’t look like much problem for Manchester City at the moment without Mo Salah. Guardiola obviously have an advantage in the race.
I agree with you, it will be tough for Arsenal to compete against Manchester City in the Premier League. Arsenal has lost form and the chance to win a trophy this season, as Manchester City squad are back to set another record in the league this season. Arsenal has also lost many of the games they were expected to win, and as a result, they are currently eliminated from the FA Cup and EFL Cup. This season, the Premier League is not for Arsenal because of Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Liverpool are strong than them. Arsenal should have hold the opportunity they had from the started of the season, and even in the Champions League, Arsenal will not be able to win it due to the addition of strong teams from other leagues. Liverpool and Manchester City are the only teams I have confidence in to win the Premier League this season.
Mo Salah wants to help his country perform well in the African Cup of Nations, and he will be looking forward to winning the African Cup of Nations this year. Mo Salah's absence will make Liverpool find it difficult to win their matches because there will not be a player like Salah who will be scoring so many goals for Liverpool.
Mohamed Salah has no choice but to travel and support his team since he wants to win the African Cup, but I don't think his absence will cause major challenges for them in winning their games. We cannot say that Liverpool will have a difficult time winning games because Moh Salah is not there. Instead, we should wait and watch their next game to see whether or not Salah's absence will make them to face difficult challenges. Even without him, Liverpool can still perform well in their upcoming games. They still have good attackers left to help them win.