LONDON, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) - All eyes are likely to be on Anfield on Sunday as the Premier League returns to action with one of the biggest games of the season, as Liverpool faces eternal rival Manchester United with both teams with plenty of questions to answer.
Liverpool went into the international break after two Premier League defeats and a Champions League loss at Galatasaray, raising doubts over whether the club's summer spending spree has left Arne Slot's side with a host of talented players who have failed to form a cohesive unit.
Although Hugo Ekitike has impressed, neither Florian Wirtz nor Alexander Isak have yet looked comfortable in Slot's side, while Mohamed Salah has also suffered a worrying dip in form.
A win against Manchester United would put things back on track for Slot, but a draw or defeat would mean the doubts continue to grow.
Manchester United's win at home to Sunderland before the international break allowed coach Ruben Amorim a relatively comfortable fortnight in which he received the backing of the club, which insisted he was in for the long term.
That message implies that Amorim should keep his job regardless of Sunday's result, but the season has so far been pockmarked by inconsistency, with a good result followed by a defeat, and Amorim really needs something positive in the most hostile ground his side will visit this season.
Arsenal went top of the table after Liverpool's last defeat, and Mikel Arteta's side heads to Fulham in excellent form, and with midfielders Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi starring for Spain during the international break.
Fulham represents a difficult challenge, but Arsenal has plenty of alternatives to help break down Marco Silva's well-drilled side.
Chelsea gets the ball rolling at the weekend with a visit to Nottingham Forest, where coach Ange Postecoglou is under increasing pressure after failing to oversee a win in his first seven games in charge since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo.
Chelsea can be unpredictable, and Cole Palmer remains out for the coming month, but the Blues still have the pace in attack to exploit the spaces that Postecoglou's teams are liable to leave at the back.
Manchester City is without the injured Rodri ahead of a visit by an Everton side that will look to make it hard for them to break down its defense, although Erling Haaland is back to his decisive best in attack.
Crystal Palace meets Bournemouth in a match between two teams playing excellent football and getting their rewards at the start of the season, while Tottenham will be an interesting test of Aston Villa's upturn in form before the break.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' search for a first win of the season was thwarted by late goals in the last two games and Wolves now travel to play a Sunderland side that has been strong at home on its return to the Premier League.
Burnley plays Leeds United in a clash of recently promoted teams, while Brighton takes on Newcastle United.
The round of matches ends on Monday with a London derby as Nuno Espirito Santo's West Ham entertains Brentford looking for a win to climb out of the bottom three. ■
