Will Everton shake off the Derby Day blues? That and more answered...
Friday 7 December 2018 22:52, UK
What questions could be answered by the time the final whistles go in the latest round of Premier League matches?
The action starts on Saturday lunchtime as high-flying Bournemouth host Liverpool at the Vitality Stadium hoping to derail the Reds' Premier League title aspirations.
Renault Super Sunday takes us to St James' Park where Newcastle face Wolves before the latest round of matches ends at Goodison Park as Watford visit Everton, live on Monday Night Football.
Here are the big questions ahead of all 10 matches...
In their six Premier League meetings, there have been 22 goals scored in matches between Bournemouth and Liverpool, with 18 of those coming in the past four match-ups.
But Eddie Howe's side have lost four of their six Premier League matches against Liverpool (W1 D1), losing both matches last season by an aggregate score of 0-7.
After four straight defeats, Bournemouth bounced back with a 2-1 win over Huddersfield in midweek, but this represents a different test. Two teams who love to play, this could well be the fixture of the weekend.
Bournemouth have an extra day's rest, and have home advantage, so will this be the game where Liverpool finally lose their unbeaten Premier League record?
After three wins on the bounce, St James' Park was stunned by the heavy defeat against West Ham, before a credible draw at Everton. However, two defeats and they could be back in the relegation dogfight.
With Huddersfield and Cardiff seeing an up-turn in performances, and new managers at both Southampton and Fulham, Newcastle can't necessarily guarantee there will be "three teams worse" over the next six months.
Wolves' form was looking extremely worrying before a superb fightback against unbeaten Chelsea on Wednesday, and suddenly they're looking up instead of down.
There is talk of Newcastle fans boycotting protests with reports of an imminent sale of the club, so the uplift in feeling around both clubs could make this a cracker.
Two home games after that Derby Day disappointment at Anfield would have given Marco Silva some hope of a speedy recovery, but the draw against Newcastle on Wednesday left a bit in the air at Everton.
Next up on Monday Night Football are Silva's old club Watford, without a win in five, having scored just twice in those games.
Everton have won 11 of their 12 home matches against Watford in all competitions, drawing the other.
There is little doubt Everton have improved under Silva, but with a packed mid-table, this winter period has an important feel to it. Just four points separate sixth and 12th, and Everton face Man City (away) and Spurs (home) before Christmas.
Sitting level on points with fourth-place Chelsea, Arsenal have an opportunity to open up a gap on their London rivals, who host leaders Manchester City on Saturday night. Top four would be an achievement in Unai Emery's first season, without a doubt.
Unbeaten in 20 in all competitions, Arsenal may look to cross one unwanted statistic off the list; they have not led at half-time in any of their 15 games in the Premier League this season, and Huddersfield represent the perfect opportunity to see that off.
Mesut Ozil scored once and assisted twice in Arsenal's 5-0 win over Huddersfield a the Emirates last season, but will we see the German return from a back injury? Emery has previously said he omitted Ozil due to the physicality of certain fixtures, so all eyes will be on the 2pm team news on Saturday.
Sean Dyche was left bemused by Jurgen Klopp's assessment of Burnley's physical approach in the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at Turf Moor on Wednesday, but more will be expected from the Clarets when Brighton are the visitors this weekend.
Klopp called for greater protection after Joe Gomez was forced off with an ankle injury in a challenge with Ben Mee while Phil Bardsley caught Alberto Moreno with another strong attempt to win the ball.
Burnley have in truth been a soft touch this season and find themselves marooned in the relegation zone, so this was a clear change of tact from Dyche in a bid to rediscover their identity.
Both fixtures between these sides ended goalless last season, but it is a sign of the progress being made by Chris Hughton at Brighton that a repeat scoreline this weekend would represent a disappointment.
There have been three managers in 18 months at St Mary's, but arriving at a club previously in turmoil is nothing new to Ralph Hasenhuttl, having begun his management career with Aalen in the German third division.
He was the eighth manager in five years, but having taken over in January 2011 with the side one point above the relegation zone, he guided them to a ninth-place finish - and his arrival in the Premier League with Southampton has felt a long time coming.
"I want to put my footsteps in the snow here and I did it with all my clubs before," he said at his first press conference on Thursday. "Maybe this step is not the easiest one, but I never wanted things easy in my life."
Words that will resonate with Neil Warnock, who occupies the opposition dug-out this weekend in Cardiff. The Bluebirds have won three of their last four home games, and retaining a good record on home soil will be imperative if they are to remain outside of the relegation zone.
Manuel Pellegrini confirmed that Mark Arnautovic will be ruled out for at least a month with a hamstring injury, but the early signs are that West Ham will be able to cope without their talisman.
Following the Austrian's withdrawal on Tuesday, the Hammers rolled up their sleeves and his replacement Lucas Perez in particular took his chance by scoring twice in the 3-1 win over Cardiff.
Pellegrini said ahead of facing Crystal Palace at the London Stadium: "I am happy because we are improving but you can never be 100 per cent happy, you always need to improve.
"I said from the first game of the season we will play in the correct way and we were not going to change because we lost a few games."
After a difficult start, it would appear West Ham are starting to get to grips with Pellegrini's methods and another home win could move them into the top half of the table.
Back in December 2015, Jose Mourinho took his Premier League champions to the King Power Stadium knowing his job was on the line, but what followed was another limp display as Leicester ran out 2-1 winners.
It proved the final nail in the coffin for Mourinho at Chelsea. Claudio Ranieri was of course manager of Leicester that day, but the Italian faces a very different challenge as they meet again at Old Trafford.
Manchester United's poor domestic season lurches from one setback to the next, but Mourinho knows he may not survive another abject result against Fulham. Hopes of challenging Manchester City for the title are long gone, but United have taken three points from their last 12 at home, contributing to an eight-point gap between themselves to fourth-spot.
With 46 changes to his starting XI in the league this season, Mourinho has become the Tinkerman but after the chaotic 2-2 draw with Arsenal, he may be running out of time to find solutions.
Even after Chelsea's first defeat of the season at Wolves, this represents a huge test for Manchester City. Last season's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge was the moment Pep Guardiola and his players felt the league was theirs to lose, though a victory on Saturday is unlikely to provide that sort of assurance, given Liverpool's form.
Chelsea haven't been at their best against the top sides this season; draws against Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United, defeat at Tottenham, and a narrow win against Arsenal where they were carved open too easily.
City rested a few stars at Watford on Wednesday, and can welcome back Raheem Sterling for the trip to Stamford Bridge, though question marks do remain over Gabriel Jesus' form, having scored just one of City's 45 goals in the league this season.
Tottenham will go in search of an eighth Premier League away win of the season when they visit Leicester in Saturday's late kick-off, but Mauricio Pochettino knows his side faces an in-form Foxes.
Claude Puel's men have gone six games unbeaten (W2 D4), their longest run in the competition without defeat since May 2016, and Leicester won the corresponding fixture 2-1 last season.
Spurs returned to winning ways following their north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a routine win over Southampton at Wembley, and Harry Kane looks in ominous form as he heads into the congested festive fixtures pile-up.
The England striker has four goals in his last five Premier League games, and has scored 13 in 11 appearances against Leicester in all competitions during his career - more than he has versus any other opponent.
