Manchester United vs Arsenal, Chelsea go for six and Liverpool’s hot-streak – the Premier League is back

PREMIER LEAGUE football returns with a bang this weekend - and Manchester United's clash with Arsenal is not the only thing to get excited about.

Liverpool are hoping to maintain top spot when they face Southampton but Chelsea are breathing down their necks under Antonio Conte.

Things are just as tight down at the bottom after Sunderland and Hull won their last matches - and the pair go head-to-head on Saturday in a real relegation tussle at the Stadium of Light.

After the frustration of the international break, SunSport brings you seven things to look out for as the Premier League gets back firing again.

Will we see the end of United as title hopefuls?

Jose Mourinho's side are already eight points adrift of top spot - if that gap increases to double figures then they can surely kiss goodbye to any hopes of winning the Premier League.

Arsenal come to Old Trafford looking stronger than in recent years, and while United finally got back amongst the goals last time out, the Gunners are a different proposition to struggling Swansea.

Mourinho needs to make a big call on whether to keep faith with Wayne Rooney in the wake of his drinking binge after England played Scotland last week. Going out and playing for a draw is surely not good enough for his stuttering side's title hopes.

Victory could be the perfect springboard to breathe new life into United, while defeat may mean the rot setting in too deep.

Can Arsenal show they are a different animal this season?

The Gunners are now unbeaten in ten matches since the blow of losing their opening game at home to Liverpool and are now looking like genuine title contenders.

But too often in the past, Arsenal have been weighed down by expectation and struggled to deliver in the matches that count.

This United side has weaknesses that Arsene Wenger will be desperate to exploit, so the three points are there for the taking if the London club perform as they have been of late.

They have destroyed Chelsea, drawn with Tottenham and lost to Liverpool - but another win against one of the league's big clubs will prove Arsenal might just be on to something this season.

Have Manchester City got over their jitters?

When Pep Guardiola's side thumped West Brom 4-0, the belief was they were over the slump in form that saw them go three league games without a win - and then they drew 1-1 at home to Middlesbrough.

Had City taken their chances they could have been out of sight by the time Boro got going in the second half, but the fact remains City looked a shadow of that side when their opponents started pressing them.

Crystal Palace have been in shocking form, so on paper a trip to Selhurst Park looks a formality for Pep and his boys. But if they trip up again then real questions will need to be asked.

Can the Chelsea goal glut continue?

Who would have thought a practical, tactical Italian coach could create one of the Premier League's great entertaining sides? But Antonio Conte looks to have sprinkled some magic dust on his team.

Five straight wins have lifted the Blues up to second - and those victories have also heralded a bumper 17 goals as Eden Hazard and Diego Costa dazzle.

Thoughts of a leaky defence have been banished at the same time, with the side not conceding in any of those matches, and they will fancy putting Middlesbrough to the sword this week as well.

But a word of caution - Boro have already had away draws at Arsenal and City and will be keen to take Chelsea down a peg or two as well.

Will Liverpool maintain their hot streak?

Jurgen Klopp's side have hit ten goals in their last two games, and with Philippe Coutinho in sparkling form Liverpool look irresistible right now.

Adam Lallana's injury on international duty with England will be a worry, but if the Reds want to be considered serious title challengers they have to deal with knocks like that.

Yet Southampton are a force at home and look nothing like as weak defensively as Palace and Watford were against Liverpool.

Klopp's men have a decent run of games ahead of them on paper, can they keep the momentum going?

Can Kane show Spurs really are able?

Tottenham felt the absence of Harry Kane more than they would have liked while he spent seven weeks out injured - and his goalscoring return against Arsenal was more than welcome.

The England striker is so important to the way Mauricio Pochettino's side plays, and after four straight draws in the league the pressure is on for the team to get back to winning ways.

Another fierce London derby could be just what the doctor ordered in terms of motivating the side, though West Ham have at least started to show glimpses of rediscovering their form after a horror start.

Kane was released from the England squad to help work on his fitness - and we will see how sharp he is come the evening kick-off at the Lane on Saturday.

Are we about to discover the first relegation certainties?

We may only be in mid-November, but Sunderland and Hull go head-to-head on Saturday and it is difficult to see any way back for the losing team.

Hull are only a point away from safety, but before they beat Southampton last time out they had lost their previous six as their wafer-thin squad started to catch up with them.

For Sunderland, the need is even more desperate, even though they somehow beat Bournemouth for their first win of the season. Six points adrift of safety, this is an absolute must-win for David Moyes and his side.

Mike Phelan will be thinking the same, but a loss for either team would be the kind of hammer blow it is difficult to come back from.