Barclays Premier League week 31 preview:

 Liverpool may walk alone at Emirates, Man U desperate for 3rd spot

All eyes will be on the Emirates when Arsenal battle Liverpool in a weekend that will have a massive impact on the Premier League table. The Gunners lie in third and a win will move them into second spot temporarily while a win for the Reds will see them reduce their top four deficit to two points. Defeat, however, will see them fall 8 points behind bitter rivals Manchester United after they failed to beat them at Anfield. Arsene Wenger will have the likes of Mathieu Debuchy and Mikel Arteta back from injury, while Liverpool will be without Jordan Henderson and Steven Gerrard who are both serving three-match bans for poor conduct. Danny Sturridge is also a doubt for this crucial encounter because of injury. 

Manchester United will move to third with a victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford. The Red Devils have hit form at the right time and with tough fixtures coming up, consistency will be key. The return of Michael Carrick from injury has given them much influence in midfield as seen against Tottenham and Liverpool, alongside his partner in crime, Ander Herrera. United have made second place a priority and should City fail to beat Palace on Monday, they will be well on their way up the ladder. Villa have looked resurgent since Tim Sherwood took over, but they are not quite the finished article yet. Their record at the Theatre Of Dreams is really poor, and picking up a win is a big ask.

Chelsea will take on Stoke City at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will be desperate to continue their march towards their first League title in five years. They are yet to lose a game at home all season, meaning they are the favourites against a formidable Stoke side. Their defence has been questionable of late, particularly against Hull City where they threw away a two-goal lead but managed to cough up the win. Stoke come into the game on the back of defeat, and it could be the same story for the Potter come match day.

 

West Brom will tackle QPR at the Hawthorns. Swansea City will take on Hull City at the Liberty Stadium. Leicester will fight it out for all three points at home to West Ham at the King Power Stadium. Southampton will tackle Everton at Goodison Park as they aim to climb up the table.

 On Sunday, Tottenham will be put to the test when they face Burnley at Turf Moor. With both sides desperately in need of points, Harry Kane and Danny Ings will hope to steer their respective teams to victory. The final game of the day is what promises to be a memorable Tyne Wear derby as Sunderland lock horns with Newcastle at the Stadium of Light.