Premier League preview: Man City host Arsenal and Tottenham tackle Liverpool

Manchester City's 100 per cent home record will be put to the test by Premier League leaders Arsenal on Saturday, while title hopefuls Tottenham and Liverpool meet at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Manchester United must get their title defence back on track when they head to Aston Villa on Sunday, live on Sky Sports 1HD, as Chelsea come up against resurgent London rivals Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge.
Champions League contenders Everton are up against Fulham at Goodison Park, with fellow top-four hopefuls Newcastle and Southampton going head-to-head at St James'.

Click below for individual match previews

Saturday
Man City v Arsenal
Cardiff v West Brom
Chelsea v Crystal Palace
Everton v Fulham
Newcastle v Southampton
West Ham v Sunderland
Hull City v Stoke
Sunday
Aston Villa v Man Utd
Norwich v Swansea
Spurs v Liverpool

The Sky Sports cameras will be at the KC Stadium on Saturday evening for Hull City's home meeting against Stoke, Cardiff welcome West Brom to south Wales, West Ham host bottom club Sunderland and Norwich face Swansea on what promises to be another action-packed weekend.

Challenge

Manchester City have so far brushed aside all of their opponents at the Etihad Stadium, with seven victories from seven games, 29 goals scored and only two conceded. But the arrival of league leaders Arsenal, who hold a five-point lead over the chasing pack, presents Manuel Pellegrini's men with a different challenge. The two clubs endured mixed fortunes in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, with City recording an historic 3-2 win away to Bayern Munich to come within a goal of topping the group, while the Gunners went down 2-0 to Napoli to also progress as runners-up, although a 3-0 reverse would have seen them exit the competition.

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Live Super Sunday

Tottenham vs Liverpool

December 15, 2013, 3:30pm

Sky Sports 1 HD

The Sky Sports cameras will be in position at White Hart Lane for the culmination of Super Sunday as Tottenham tackle second-placed Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers' men have responded well to their shock setback at Hull City with handsome home victories over hapless Norwich and West Ham. Spurs refused to be distracted by the recent speculation over Andre Villas-Boas' future, following up their home draw with Manchester United to secure come-from-behind wins on their travels against Fulham and Sunderland. Victory for the north London club this weekend would see them move level on 30 points with their weekend opponents.
Manchester United's stuttering title defence is in desperate need of fresh impetus as David Moyes' side head to Aston Villa for the Super Sunday opener. Successive home defeats at the hands of Everton and Newcastle brought fresh questions over Moyes' position as Sir Alex Ferguson's long-term replacement, although a narrow victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in midweek to qualify as Champions League group winners was a brief reprieve. Should Villa, who saw their five-game unbeaten run ended by Fulham, claim all three points, it will be only the fourth time in Premier League history that United have lost three in a row, and the first since December 2001.

Thierry Henry, Gary Neville, and Jamie Redknapp discuss Manchester United's recent struggles in the Premier League.

Chelsea suffered a shock 3-2 defeat away to Stoke City in their last Premier League outing and Jose Mourinho's men have shipped an unexpected six goals in their last two domestic matches. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, make the tough trip to Stamford Bridge following successive home victories against West Ham and Cardiff City, with new manager Tony Pulis enjoying an immediate impact and shoring up the Eagles' previously leaky defence. But Pulis will also be aware of the challenge he faces on Saturday, having suffered his heaviest defeat as a top-flight manager at the home of the Blues, when his Stoke City side were drubbed 7-0 back in April 2010.
Everton are back in action at Goodison Park on Saturday with a home meeting against struggling Fulham, having claimed a hugely-impressive four points from their away contests against Manchester United and Arsenal. Roberto Martinez has enjoyed a seamless transition following his summer appointment, with Everton swiftly embracing his football philosophy. Fulham arrive on Merseyside in the Premier League relegation zone, but new manager Rene Meulensteen at least has a platform on which he can begin to build their survival bid following the 2-0 win over Aston Villa, a success which snapped a seven-game losing run in all competitions.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez says the club are working hard to tie down a new deal for Ross Barkley.

Memorable

Southampton's fine start to the season has faltered in recent weeks as they prepare for the journey north to face Newcastle at St James' Park, with just one point gained from their last four matches. Meetings with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City were always going to test Mauricio Pochettino's men to the full, while injuries to key men such as Artur Boruc and Victor Wanyama are testing their squad depth. Newcastle go into the game on the back of their memorable 1-0 win away to Manchester United, with Alan Pardew's men holding a three-point cushion over their opponents and within striking distance of the Champions League berths.

Steve Bruce

The Saturday Night Football offering pits two former Manchester United favourites against each other as Steve Bruce's Hull City tackle Mark Hughes' Stoke City at the KC Stadium. Bruce is endeavouring to maintain a focus on football, with the Tigers faithful being tested by owner Assem Allam's bid to rename the club. Hull have impressed on home turf this season, with just one defeat in seven and a first-ever victory over Liverpool last time out. Stoke can leapfrog their opponents with a win, but the Potters have been miserable on their travels this term, suffering five defeats in seven, although their shock home success over Chelsea will doubtless lift their confidence.
Cardiff must halt a concerning slide down the Premier League table when an equally-out-of-form West Brom are the visitors to south Wales on Saturday. Malky Mackay's men have just two points to show from their last 15 available and are now just one point above the top-flight relegation zone. The euphoria of their derby victory over Swansea has been replaced by the grim reality of a scrap to stay out of the bottom three. West Brom have also endured a tough time of late, with successive setbacks against Newcastle, Manchester City and Norwich leaving them just one point and one place better off than their weekend rivals.

Gus Poyet

Sunderland are in grave danger of being cut adrift at the bottom of the table ahead of their meeting with fellow strugglers West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday. Gus Poyet can point to improved performances and some questionable refereeing decisions going against his side in recent weeks, but the harsh reality is that the Black Cats are now five behind Crystal Palace in 19th and on course to be in last place at Christmas. West Ham's recent slide, which sees them only out of the bottom three on goal difference, has led to co-owner David Gold giving qualified support to Sam Allardyce, while admitting he is 'hugely disappointed' with their current standing.
History suggests that entertainment can be expected at Carrow Road on Sunday as Norwich City play host to Swansea. The four previous Premier League meetings between the two clubs have seen 20 goals scored, while there have been just two 0-0 draws in their 49 meetings over the years. The Canaries have a third home victory in a row in their sights this weekend having seen off West Ham and Crystal Palace to ease some of the pressure on Chris Hughton's shoulders. Swansea go into the game in the top half of the table and only three adrift of champions Manchester United, but just six ahead of the developing relegation scrap.