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All eyes will be on Old Trafford this weekend for the first clash between big four of the 2009/10 campaign.

It may still be early days in the new season but the importance of getting one over on your rivals should not be underestimated, at either end of the table.

Manchester United,Your browser may not support display of this image. Chelsea and much-touted Manchester CityYour browser may not support display of this image. all well-placed on the upper rungs of the Premier League ladder. Liverpool have stumbled to a disappointing start, and know they have ground to make up already, while the likes of Birmingham and Burnley have displayed enough promise to suggest that they could be dark horses as the top-flight marathon begins in earnest.

The latest round of fixtures will, however, be overshadowed by what promises to be a titanic tussle between Manchester United and Arsenal on Saturday evening - a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1 in UK and ESPNSTAR in South East Asia.

Reigning champions United appear to have shaken off the surprise of suffering a shock loss at Turf Moor, and put five past Wigan last time out, and Sir Alex Ferguson will have his troops primed for battle. Arsenal, though, have been mightily impressive so far this term, scoring 10 goals in their two fixtures so far, and they will head to Old Trafford confident they can put down a significant marker in the title race.

While the Gunners and Red Devils will have aspirations of crossing the finish line first come next May, Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea are also expected to have a major say in the destination of the crown. The Blues have made a perfect start to the season, taking nine points from three games, but they will not have things all their own way at Stamford Bridge this weekend when they play host to a Burnley side who have adapted to life among England's elite with consummate ease.

At present, though, it is Tottenham who are looking down on the rest of the table from their lofty perch at the summit and Harry Redknapp'sYour browser may not support display of this image. men will fancy their chances of racking up a fourth consecutive success this week. Spurs welcome Birmingham to North London on Saturday looking to preserve White Hart Lane'sYour browser may not support display of this image. burgeoning status as a fortress few away sides are able to breach.

Liverpool's troubles so far have already been alluded to and Rafa Benitez will not be relishing a tricky trip to Bolton. The Reds appeared bereft of ideas in their hugely disappointing 3-1 defeat to Aston VillaYour browser may not support display of this image. on Monday and Gary Megson will have his Trotters team sensing blood.

Anyone looking for a surprise package to emerge from the midst of the 2009/10 campaign could do worse than cast an eye over ever-improving Sunderland. Steve BruceYour browser may not support display of this image. has got the Black Cats purring and a trip to fortress Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke will hold no fear for the wily former Birmingham and Wigan boss.

West Ham, or rather their supporters, have dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons this week and they will welcome the opportunity to turn attentions back to their performances on the field. A 3-1 victory over Millwall in the Carling Cup in midweek, a good result which has been somewhat overshadowed, should stand them in good stead ahead of a trip to Blackburn to take on a Rovers side yet to get off the mark.

Molineux promises to be bathed in gold this weekend as hosts Wolves take on Hull City. Mick McCarthy's side have made a solid yet unspectacular start to life back in the big time, while the Tigers will feel that they have yet to reap the rewards their industry this term has deserved.

Portsmouth kick-off Sunday's action with a lunchtime contest with Manchester City.With Sulaiman Al-Fahim now overseeing events at Fratton Park,Your browser may not support display of this image. having previously helped to manufacture the Abu Dhabi United Group's takeover at City, it will be intriguing to see which of the two sides now benefitting from Middle Eastern investment come out on top. The smart money would appear to be on the visitors, as they have taken maximum points from their two outings so far and are yet to concede, while Pompey have slipped to three consecutive defeats and look drained by the distracting takeover saga.

The South Coast outfit do not prop up the table at present, though, with that unfortunate honour going to Everton. The Toffees were expected to be among the frontrunners again this season, after taking positive strides in recent years, but a dismal start has seen them slip off the pace. A home date with inconsistent Wigan could help them to get back on track, but the Merseysiders will be forced to make do without Joleon LescottYour browser may not support display of this image. from now on after offloading the England international to Manchester City.

A busy weekend, which sees all 20 Premier League sides in action, comes to a close at Villa ParkYour browser may not support display of this image. on Sunday afternoon as Aston Villa take on Fulham. Martin O'Neill's men will have been buoyed by their heroics at Anfield last time out, while the Cottagers are looking to bounce back from a derby day setback at Chelsea last weekend.