Can Arsenal avoid a capitulation against a top four side?

Last year, in their six games against the other three teams who finished in the top four, Arsenal only won once, and capitulated horrifically three times. This weekend they play Manchester City at the Emirates looking to click their season into gear.

So far this season Arsenal have flattered to deceive with a below-par performance against Crystal Palace salvaged through Aaron Ramsey’s last-minute winner, a 2-2 draw scraped with Everton late on and a 1-1 draw away to newly promoted Leicester City. This weekend’s game provides an interesting encounter with Arsenal looking for an improved performance and Man City looking to bounce back from their shock 1-0 home defeat to Stoke a fortnight ago.

Looking back to last year, 6-3, 5-1 and 6-0 make for embarrassing reading for Arsene Wenger’s side as Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea blew the Gunners away through slow starts by the men from North London.

In order to mount a serious title charge this year, Arsenal need to improve their record against teams in and around them towards the top of the table, and they need to start better than they have in the past.

Battle of the 100% starts

At Stamford Bridge on Saturday, Chelsea meet Swansea as the league’s only two sides to have won three from three so far do battle to maintain their 100% starts to the season.

It has been a superb start for Garry Monk and his Swans as victories over Manchester United, Burnley, and West Brom have them sat in second place, with only goal difference keeping them off the summit.

Saturday will be a tough test for them though, as Chelsea have looked impressive and clinical so far this season, with new signings Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas coming to the fore.

With Costa a doubt with a hamstring issue however, will Chelsea turn to club legend Didier Drogba or new £10.5m signing Loic Remy to lead the line at the Bridge? Remy, fresh from his exploits for France last week, will hope to make a good first impression should he be handed the chance.

Curiously, Saturday could also see August’s manager of the month Garry Monk, face August’s player of the month in Costa. Who will be smiling come 5pm? It’s hard to look past Chelsea.

Will it be a winning return to Selhurst Park for Neil Warnock?

This Saturday sees Neil Warnock take charge of his first Crystal Palace home game as the Eagles face Burnley in an early potential relegation six-pointer.

After last weekend’s chaotic 3-3 draw at St. James’ Park, when Palace could quite easily have won the game but in the end rescued a point with Wilfried Zaha’s 95th minute equaliser, it will be interesting to see whether Warnock shores up his team a bit more, a la Tony Pulis, or plays more open attacking football as he did two weeks ago.

Dwight Gayle, Frazier Campbell, Jason Puncheon, Yannick Bolasie and Zaha provide Warnock with plenty of pace and attacking options to ponder.

As for Burnley, it has been something of a rude introduction to Premier League football for Sean Dyche’s side, as the men from Turf Moor go in search of their first victory in the top flight. They have had a very tough start though it must be noted, with defeats to Chelsea and high-flying Swansea. The ‘Ginger Mourinho’ will be looking to build on the draw with Manchester United from two weeks ago.

Selection issues for Louis van Gaal

Sunday sees only one Premier League game taking place with Manchester United facing QPR at Old Trafford.

Since Man United’s 0-0 draw with Burnely a few things have changed for van Gaal. Marcos Rojo has had his work permit granted, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverly have exited to other Premier League sides, and Daley Blind and a man by the name of Radamel Falcao have signed up for the Red Devils.

The most interesting thing to look for in this game will be to see where and how van Gaal will attempt to fit Falcao into a forward line already containing Dutch national captain Robin van Persie, club and England national captain Wayne Rooney, new £60m signing Angel Di Maria and last year’s £37 million investment Juan Mata. In addition, it will also be intriguing to see if Blind and Rojo, both left-back’s for their countries, can perform in the defensive-midfield and centre-half positions Van Gaal has claimed they can up to now.

For QPR, Harry Redknapp will look for his team to build on their victory against Sunderland last-time out. A couple of deadline-day signings could also make their debut’s in Sandro and the returning Niko Kranjcar, with impressive loan signing Eduardo Vargas looking to try and recuperate his eye-catching world cup form for Chile.

Manchester United’s defence still looks suspect, and with Phil Jones a doubt QPR may get an opportunity or two. The firepower of Van Gaal’s attack however means that a home victory looks most likely.

Hull’s new signings

Monday night sees deadline day’s busiest side Hull City entertain West Ham at the KC Stadium, with both sides looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats to Aston Villa and Southampton respectively during the last round of fixtures.

A total of four first team players arrived for Steve Bruce on deadline day with all of them possibly in-line to make their debuts on Monday night. Mohamed Diame looks set to face his employers of two-weeks ago in an interesting twist of fate, whilst loan signings Gaston Ramierz and Hatem Ben Arfa played and grabbed a goal each in a behind closed doors friendly with West Brom during the week, in a game put on to determine their fitness.

There are however, doubts over whether new £10 million signing Abel Hernandez will have his visa in time and with Assem Allam’s decision to put the club up for sale confirmed on Thursday, could this effect Hull City’s performance?

West Ham too have seen a couple of new faces join up in Alex Song and Morgan Amalfitano, as the hammers go searching for a return to winning ways after a very poor showing against Southampton last time out.

Hull, on the whole, have looked strong this year and with new reinforcements look a good bet to beat West Ham and crank the pressure back on Sam Allardyce.