Adam Peacock runs his eye over the EPL title race ahead of Liverpool's clash with Arsenal

WITH Liverpool hosting Arsenal on Saturday night, Adam Peacock tries to decipher how the EPL title race will play out.

And there were 4. Maybe.

3 if you listen to Brendan Rodgers.

2 if you're from Pluto and believe Jose Mourinho and his little horse metaphor.

No, we'll go with 4, especially just after 2 of them met midweek and the other 2 - Liverpool and Arsenal - start the weekend at Anfield.

Join Adam, Mark Bosnich and Josip Skoko on Fox Sports 1 HD from 11.10pm (EDT) Saturday night ahead of the Liverpool v Arsenal clash, which kicks off at 11.45pm. Coverage follows the A-League and a special presentation - Keane and Vieira: Best of Enemies documentary, at 10.10pm.

ARSENAL - 55 points

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Next five EPL games: Liverpool (a), Manchester United (h), Sunderland (h), Stoke (a), Swansea (h)

Wenger Knows Best, according to the excellent twitter parody.

In real life we are about to find out if he really does, all these years after last proving it with a trophy; the next 4 games is this precursor - Liverpool away then Manchester United, Liverpool (FA Cup) and Bayern Munich all at home. It's football's version of Glastonbury.

Wenger, again, refused to top up in the transfer window and could again run out of gas. He is all about keeping his current players happy, not wanting to upset those who this season have served him so well.

Like any failure - you don't mind if someone is just better than you; but if you could have controlled what you can control better - how stupid do you feel?

The Frenchman has left himself open like never before to be proven a genius - flawed or otherwise.

Wenger Knows Best. We shall see.

News_Image_File: You'd trust this guy in the title race, wouldn't you?

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MANCHESTER CITY - 53 points

Next five EPL games: Norwich (a), Sunderland (h), Stoke (h), Manchester United (a), Aston Villa (h)

Depth is not their issue - just they need their best players to make sure of it.

Fernandinho, whose stock went through the roof against Chelsea without playing, has a thigh problem that is 2 weeks away from healing.

Samir Nasri's knee is a month away, while Sergio Aguero, as sorely missed as Fernandinho Tuesday, is also a month off with his gammy hammy.

If all three return with City top, or within a game of top, it is impossible to see them not winning the title. Only Vladimir Putin leading the Mardi Gras would be less likely.

It's hard to no be distracted by the Champions League tie with Barcelona and to a lesser extent the Cup games against Chelsea (FA Cup) and Sunderland (Capital One Cup final).

Look beyond that and the Premier League run could not be better Norwich, Sunderland, Stoke, Aston Villa, Hull - three of those at home.

And this is where pockets deeper than the Mariana Trench help so much. Players like Milner, Rodwell, Clichy, Jovetic easing the load on those charged with beating Barca and winning the Capital one Cup, will be critical to ensure no slip ups.

News_Image_File: Handy replacement to have up your sleeve, if you can.

CHELSEA - 53 points

Next five EPL games: Newcastle (h), West Brom (a), Everton (h), Fulham (a), Tottenham (h)

Again it became about Mourinho.

The biggest game of the season to date, won by Chelsea, but before and after it was about what Jose said and did, rather than his players. All about him.

Which is fine, because when it's about Jose, it's more entertaining that Lt Frank Drebin trying to protect the Queen.

To the press on Monday night, minutes after his tactical reputation went further into the stratosphere.

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"You've beaten City home and away, surely you must give yourself a chance".

"I don't agree". Then, no joke, he scratched the back of his ear and while stretching to scratch, he pulled a face that looked like his conscience was in turmoil.

His pants were not on fire, but someone had a lighter and can of WD40 nearby to set those Armani strides alight.

Then the "2 big horses, 1 nice horse, a little horse, next season we can race" story.

Well if you want to make that analogy then Jose, go for it. But ask any owner of a horse that is ready to go well in a Melbourne Cup - do they save it for next year? No. (Not that he has any clue what the Cup is, but he should. It's grand.)

The horse can be injured. It can lose its zeal for racing. The trainer might be distracted by a dispute with the owner. It's happened before. Win it while you have the chance, not when you might, no matter how much improvement there might be.

Chelsea haven't lost to Arsenal, City or Liverpool this season, and you'd be mad to back against Mourinho in the return bouts with Wenger and Rodgers to come. The little horse will have to stumble elsewhere if it is not to be in this finish.

News_Image_File: Don't take your eyes off this bloke.

LIVERPOOL - 47 points

Next five EPL games: Arsenal (h), Fulham (a), Swansea (h), Southampton (a), Sunderland (h)

It's a wonder they are still in it, with draws against Villa and West Brom recently.

It's no surprise they are, given how they played in the Merseyside Derby and the fact that since Luis Suarez returned at the end of September, they have been kept scoreless just once (against Arsenal, it must be said).

Brendan Rodgers, like his friend Mourinho this week, talked down his side's title hopes. With Jose, its Vaudeville, with Rodgers, he has a point: depth is at its limit and in the 3 matches against the other title aspirants, they have 0 points.

Granted, all 3 were away. At home, Liverpool have taken 32 of 36 points and play the type of offensive efficiency which makes it a dangerous thought to rule them out of anything.

What remains is the 3 teams above Liverpool making a trip to Merseyside. Like so many times before the Premier League was born, most notably when Michael Thomas streamed through on goal in 1990, the title race looks like being decided at Anfield.

Starting tomorrow night.