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Heavyweight Anfield clash headlines intriguing Premier League weekend

:Headline: Heavyweight Anfield clash headlines intriguing Premier League weekend: ID:337855: from db_amp
The two most realistic title contenders go head to head on Merseyside.

The Premier League continues this weekend with a number of interesting fixtures.

Here, Press Association Sport looks at some of the main talking points.

Liverpool host Manchester City in top-of-the-table clash

Liverpool and Manchester City met four times last season (Peter Byrne/PA)

The highlight of the weekend is Sunday’s blockbuster between the top two sides at Anfield.

The clubs were tipped as title rivals before the campaign began and their early-season form, even without either side hitting top gear, has certainly justified the hype.

It is a difficult game to call, with intriguing battles all over the field and between two inspirational managers in Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola on the touchline.

Both teams like to attack and, if last season’s ferocious encounters are anything to go by, will not compromise those philosophies. Tactical know-how and experience perhaps just favours City but history – both recent and long term – is certainly on Liverpool’s side. City have won just once at Anfield since 1981 and last season they struggled in the intense atmosphere.

All eyes on Mourinho’s next act

The pressure continues to pile on Jose Mourinho (Martin Rickett/PA)

While the clash at Anfield will be eagerly anticipated, eyes will be on Old Trafford for entirely different reasons. Manchester United are in a rut.

They have slipped to 10th in the table, have not won in four games in all competitions, stories of a fractured dressing room keep surfacing and the pressure is piling on manager Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese needs a victory to earn some relief heading into the international break. On paper, a Newcastle side in even greater turmoil should be just the opponents they need, but things are rarely straightforward when Mourinho faces old adversary Rafael Benitez.

Benitez also in need of a lift

Rafael Benitez will hope to get one over his old rival (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The Champions League duels between Benitez and Mourinho, when the pair were managers of Liverpool and Chelsea respectively, may now seem long ago but the Spaniard’s ability to outmanoeuvre his rival, even with inferior teams, is beyond question.

Steering a winless Newcastle to a result at Old Trafford may be a different thing entirely, of course, but this is nevertheless a contest he will be relishing.

The Magpies certainly need to find a spark from somewhere after a dreadful start to the season. They have claimed just two points and dissatisfaction with the ownership continues to cast a cloud.

Other sides out to end winless run

Huddersfield, like Cardiff and Newcastle, are still to win this season (Mike Egerton/PA)

There are two other sides still chasing a first win in Cardiff and Huddersfield and they will be anxious to address that before the break.

In Cardiff’s case, however, it is a daunting task as they travel to Tottenham. The Welsh side have already suffered heavy losses to Chelsea and Manchester City in recent weeks and there is little relief with Liverpool coming up later in the month.

Huddersfield will hope they can battle their way to a result at Burnley but the odds may also be against them with the Clarets having won their last two after a poor start.

Test for Gunners keeper

Bernd Leno (left) will get a chance for Arsenal with Petr Cech (right) out injured (Yui Mok/PA)

Arsenal have turned the corner after their disappointing start, recovering from defeats in their first two games to climb to fourth with five successive wins.

There is still much for Unai Emery to do, however, and he now faces a spell without experienced goalkeeper Petr Cech.

Summer signing Bernd Leno will now get a chance but the Premier League can be unforgiving to new keepers and the German faces a test at Fulham.

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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133
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