Gold slipped 1.3% to $4,083, pressured by concerns that higher oil prices could fuel inflation and delay Federal Reserve rate cuts. Capital.com's Monte Safieddine warns that gold faces a "difficult cocktail" of sticky inflation, elevated Treasury yields and a potentially stronger dollar. He identifies $4,000 as a critical support level, warning that a decisive break below could signal fading expectations for Fed easing. A stable U.S. labor market reinforces expectations that the Fed will hold rates next week.