LONDON — The Premier League bursts back into life after the international break this weekend with Arsenal and Liverpool clashing in a potential FA Cup final dress rehearsal in the early kick-off at the Emirates Saturday. Although the two teams are the favorites to meet in the Cup final at Wembley at the end of May, of more immediate concern to both will be the three points at stake Saturday. Victory for Arsenal would maintain its unlikely late challenge for the title, while a Liverpool win would rekindle its hopes of a top-four finish after its last match before the break ended in a 2-1 home defeat by Manchester United. Arsenal has won its last six league matches and halved the gap on leader Chelsea from 14 points on Feb. 10 to seven now and a win for the Gunners would lift them into second place, at least until Manchester City play at Crystal Palace Monday. Chelsea, leader since late August, hosts Stoke City, managed by the London club's ex-striker Mark Hughes, in Saturday's late match and anything other than a home win would be a major upset. Chelsea has played 29 matches, one fewer than all of the chasing pack, and is on 67 points, with second-placed City on 61, Arsenal with 60 and Manchester United on 59. On Saturday, United hosts Aston Villa, which has looked a better side since Tim Sherwood took over as manager from Paul Lambert six weeks ago but is still involved in the relegation fight. United should chalk up a fifth successive league win. While Liverpool, which is fifth on 54 points, will be hoping to stay in touch with the leading quartet, both Southampton and Totttenham will look to overtake them if they should slip up. Saints and Spurs are both a point behind Liverpool with the former traveling to erratic Everton and the latter visiting relegation-threatened Burnley. Spurs had four players — Harry Kane, Ryan Mason, Kyle Walker and goalscorer Andros Townsend — in the England team that drew 1-1 with Italy Tuesday. They will be hoping for a third win in four over Burnley this season after beating it in an FA Cup third round replay in January. Kane, meanwhile, who has scored 29 goals for Tottenham this season including a hat trick against Leicester City last time out, needs one more goal to become the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker in 1991-92 to hit 30 goals in a season. — Reuters
