City and Liverpool face away tests in Europe

The Champions League league phase reaches the middle of matchday four on Wednesday with nine games, two early kick-offs and a table that still cannot be read straight down. Manchester City go to RB Leipzig, Liverpool visit Fenerbahce, Arsenal play at Slavia Prague and Real Madrid travel to AEK Athens. For four English clubs the night is about position rather than survival, but the margins are thinner than the points suggest.

Every club in the 36-team table has now played three or four games. The top eight go directly to the round of 16, clubs from ninth to 24th go into a play-off, and the bottom 12 are out. With four matchdays left after this week, a win on Wednesday is worth more than three points: it separates a club from the pack before the fixtures get harder.

The table before Wednesday's games

Paris Saint-Germain lead with 12 points from four games and a goal difference of plus 15. Barcelona are second on nine after beating Aston Villa 3-0, Villa are third on nine, and Liverpool, Real Madrid and Real Betis all have nine from three games. Bayern Munich are eighth on eight, Arsenal ninth on seven, and City are 12th on six. The bottom half includes clubs with one point and clubs with four, which is what a league phase looks like when the fixtures are not balanced.

Leipzig's chance against City

Leipzig are 28th on three points, with three goals scored and eight conceded in three games. They have won once, lost twice and have a goal difference of minus five. City are 12th on six points with nine scored and five conceded, and they have won two of three. The gap in the table is nine places and three points, which is one bad night in this format.

City's position is the more uncomfortable of the two because of what surrounds it. They are second in the Premier League on 21 points from nine games, three behind Arsenal, and they have scored 20 goals. In Europe they have been more cautious: nine goals in three games, five conceded, and one defeat. A win in Leipzig would put them on nine points and likely back inside the top eight. A defeat would leave them on six and looking at the play-off places.

Liverpool's trip to Fenerbahce

Liverpool have nine points from three games, 12 goals scored and seven conceded. They are fourth, behind Barcelona and Villa on goal difference. Fenerbahce are 31st with two points from three games, three scored and nine conceded, and they have drawn two and lost one. On paper it is the most uneven fixture of the night.

Liverpool arrive after a 1-0 home defeat by Arsenal on Sunday, their second league defeat of the season. They had 17 attempts at Anfield and none on target. The Champions League has been kinder: three wins from three, 12 goals, and a group of forwards who have looked sharper in Europe than at home. Whether that survives a hostile away ground is the question the night will answer.

Arsenal at Slavia Prague

Arsenal are ninth on seven points from three games, unbeaten, with six scored and two conceded. Slavia Prague are 32nd on one point, with four scored and seven conceded. Arsenal won at Anfield on Sunday through Kai Havertz's first-half goal and moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League. They have now won eight of nine league games and conceded five goals.

The risk for Arsenal is the same as for any side playing a team with nothing to lose. Slavia have drawn one and lost two, and they have scored four goals in three games. Arsenal have conceded two goals in three European games. A win would put them on 10 points and likely into the top eight with three matchdays to spare.

Real Madrid, Dortmund and the rest

Real Madrid are fifth on nine points from three games and visit AEK Athens, who are 27th on three. Dortmund are 16th on six and host Real Betis, seventh on nine. Porto, 35th with no points, host Napoli, 24th on three. Lens, 26th on three, host Como, 11th on six. PSV, 21st on four, host Club Brugge, 13th on six. Viking, 33rd on one, host Sabah, 25th on three.

The table makes the stakes clear without making the results obvious. Porto have lost all three and scored twice; Napoli have won one and conceded seven. Dortmund have scored five and conceded four; Betis have scored seven and conceded four. Those are the numbers of teams that are close in quality and far apart in the table, which is the effect of a small sample and an unbalanced schedule.

City's week away from the pitch

The match in Leipzig is not the only City story this week. Reports in the British press on Wednesday said rival Premier League clubs want a second investigation into the club's finances, with The Independent describing a dilemma for the league over whether further charges are possible. The club has not commented on the reports, and the league has not confirmed any new process. City's players have to play through the noise, which they have done for several seasons.

All kick-off times are UTC. Positions and points are from the table before Wednesday's games. The full league phase table is on the tables page, the fixtures are on the matches page, and the rest of the competition is in the Champions League section.

• Wednesday: nine games, two at 17:45 UTC and seven at 20:00 UTC.
• City: 12th on six points, nine scored and five conceded in three games.
• Liverpool: fourth on nine points, three wins from three, 12 goals scored.
• Arsenal: ninth on seven points, unbeaten, six scored and two conceded.
• Leaders: Paris Saint-Germain on 12 points with a goal difference of plus 15.