Monday 23 November 2015 08:02, UK
With the Premier League returning this weekend, we take a look at 10 questions that could be answered by Monday evening.
The action gets underway with Manchester United's trip to Watford before Arsenal travel to West Brom and Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad on Saturday Night Football.
Tottenham take on West Ham on Super Sunday before Crystal Palace host Sunderland in the final game of the weekend on Monday Night Football. Here's what questions need to be answered ahead each game...
How much would United miss Martial? (Watford v Man Utd, 12.45pm Saturday)
Anthony Martial might have been "bought for the next manager" of Manchester United, according to Louis van Gaal, but he has perhaps proved to be more important than expected for the current manager. Martial has scored five goals in 14 appearances and started every Premier League match since making his debut against Liverpool.
The sight of the former Monaco forward leaving Wembley on crutches following France's friendly with England on Tuesday will have been a worry for all Man United fans. Didier Deschamps said that it is "just a knock on the top of his foot", but Van Gaal has confirmed that he is out, along with captain Wayne Rooney. So who is going to provide the spark for United?
Perhaps now is the time for Memphis Depay to make his mark. The 21-year-old has fallen out of favour recently but this could be his opportunity to shine, in the week that David Beckham told him to be inspired, rather than intimidated, by United's No 7 shirt.
Can Chelsea turn performances into results? (Chelsea v Norwich, 3pm Saturday)
Based purely on results, Chelsea's recent form does not look good. They have won just one of their last six games - a 2-1 victory over Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League - and have lost their last three Premier League matches in a row.
However, while results have not improved for Chelsea, performances seem to have done. The Blues created more than enough chances to beat Stoke in both the Capital One Cup and the league, only to be let down by their finishing. "If Chelsea play like they did against Stoke, they'll win a lot of football matches," said Paul Merson, who is backing them to finish fourth this season. While that seems a long way off now, it will seem much further away if they fail to beat Norwich.
Can Villa Garde against Lukaku? (Everton v Aston Villa, 3pm Saturday)
"We need to work as a team to prevent Lukaku getting the ball." As a plan that sounds solid enough from Remi Garde, but putting it into practice might be a whole different proposition.
Romelu Lukaku has been heavily involved for Everton this season, scoring seven goals and providing four assists in an impressive start to the campaign. He has also been ably assisted by Gerard Deulofeu, who seems to be improving week-by-week for the Toffees and has been in sparkling form for Spain U21s, scoring five times in his last three games.
Sky Sports pundit Phil Thompson said his perfectly-weighted through ball for Lukaku to score against West Ham was the pass of the season so far. If the combination between the pair continues to improve it bodes well for Everton and potentially spells trouble for Villa.
What would Leicester do without Vardy? (Newcastle v Leicester, 3pm Saturday)
To say Leicester have been a one-man team this season would be unfair and also untrue, but there is no denying they have relied heavily on Jamie Vardy's goals. The striker has scored in his last nine Premier League games in a row and is bidding to equal Ruud van Nistelrooy's post-1992 record of scoring in 10 consecutive matches.
But...will he get the opportunity? After being forced to withdraw from the England squad with a hip injury, there is doubt as to whether he will be fit enough to start against Newcastle. Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri says he will face a late fitness test, but he will not risk him if he is not fit.
If Vardy is not available, Shinji Okazaki could start in his place while Leonardo Ulloa offers a different option with his ability to hold the ball up. Between them they have managed just one goal this season, though, so it will be interesting to see how Leicester cope if they are to be without their free-scoring forward.
Will international break slow Saints again? (Southampton v Stoke, 3pm Saturday)
While some managers might enjoy the international breaks as a chance to recuperate, Ronald Koeman will probably be glad to see the back of them for 2015.
With Sadio Mane and Victor Wanyama away in Africa and Graziano Pelle and Jose Fonte featuring for Italy and Portugal respectively, Southampton have not fared well in the weeks after international fixtures.
They drew with West Brom and lost to Manchester United after the first break of the season, then won three on the spin before the second break, after which they drew with Leicester and Liverpool.
Before this most recent break they had again won three in a row, but they will be hoping to avoid another post-break slump and make it four this time.
Can Swans stop rot? (Swansea v Bournemouth, 3pm Saturday)
After their 2-1 victory over Manchester United in late August, few would have predicted that Swansea would win just one of their next eight Premier League matches.
It's been perhaps Garry Monk's most challenging time as a manager, with his team only showing flashes of their potential at both ends of the pitch. That is probably why Monk said this week that he wants a "complete performance" against Bournemouth. That, though, could be easier said than done.
His preparations have not been helped by seeing Ki Sung-Yueng, Jonjo Shelvey, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Jefferson Montero and Andre Ayew depart on international duty, but a more pressing concern is Bafetimbi Gomis' form. The striker, who scored the winner against United in August, has only had two shots on target in his last 514 minutes of action.
A home match against the Premier League's most out-of-form team should be an ideal opportunity for the striker to end his scoring drought.
Will Sanchez be rested? (West Brom v Arsenal, 3pm Saturday)
"He's got to be saved from himself almost because he's so enthusiastic." That was Alan Smith's verdict on Alexis Sanchez the Chile international continues his full-throttle approach.
The 26-year-old has played eight times in 31 days, including twice for Chile in the last week when there were worries over a potential calf problem. While he appeared to hit back at suggestions of tiredness in a recent Instagram post titled 'Do you lack energy? I'll send you mine!', burnout must be a worry for Arsene Wenger.
But with Aaron Ramsey, Alex-Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott still out, can the Gunners afford to rest their star man?
Is Sturridge reward worth the risk? (Man City v Liverpool, 5.30pm Saturday)
Daniel Sturridge is yet to feature under Jurgen Klopp but the signs are he could be available to play some part at the Etihad on Saturday Night Football.
The striker returned to training this week after suffering a knee injury in October and said: "I'm fit and ready to go and it's going to be a great time for me." It will be interesting to see if and how he is used by Klopp on Saturday.
Klopp has said he is wary of throwing Sturridge straight back into the action, considering how infrequently he has featured for Liverpool over the past year. "I have to think about it. His quality is outstanding but everyone needs training," said klopp.
However, how long will the former Borussia Dortmund boss wait? While Liverpool have done reasonably well in his absence, they could certainly do with the goals that Sturridge provides. Klopp may have to balance the risk and reward.
Can Alli keep hitting the heights? (Tottenham v West Ham, 4pm Sunday)
It would not be a surprise to hear that Dele Alli sometimes wakes up in the night, pinching himself to check that everything that has happened in the past few months is real.
"Did I really follow up a man-of-the-match display in the north London derby with another MOM performance and a goal against France at Wembley?" That might have sounded unbelievable a year ago, but Alli has firmly established himself in Spurs midfield this season and has done his chances of making England's midfield at the Euro 2016 no harm after an impressive debut against France on Tuesday.
The question now is whether he can maintain his current level of perormances. While young players are liable to dips in form, Alli has been playing at a consistently high level this season and looks as though he could remain a key player for Mauricio Pochettino going forward.
What changes will Big Sam make? (Crystal Palace v Sunderland, 8pm Monday)
If consistency is the key to success then perhaps that is why Sunderland are struggling: they have not named an unchanged starting XI in the Premier League since May 2014.
That run seems unlikely to end this weekend as Sam Allardyce could make a few switches in his fifth game in charge. John O'Shea should be available after playing for Republic of Ireland, summer signings Fabio Borini and Jeremain Lens were both on the bench against Southampton and Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher are still vying for the main striking role.
Which way will Allardyce go, though, and how long will it take him before he finds his best side?
