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Rooney heads back to the lion's den

Wayne Rooney bagged his first goal of the season in Manchester United's last league outing

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International duty may well be behind him, but Wayne Rooney still remains centre of attention this weekend as the Premier League kicks back into life. Having broken his England scoring drought in Switzerland to respond to weekend newspaper allegations about his private life, the Manchester United man now re-enters the lion's den as the Red Devils visit his former club Everton.

Elsewhere this weekend, Manchester City and Tottenham need to bounce back from shock losses, Newcastle and Blackpool engage in a battle of the new boys, and Liverpool visit one of their bogey grounds.

For predictions, key battles and talking points from all 10 matches, read on below...

Everton v Manchester United
Form: Echoes of last season are haunting Everton following two defeats and a poor draw at home to Wolves in their first three matches. The sight of Manchester United, who have taken seven points from nine, certainly won't inspire many positive feelings in David Moyes.
Key battle: United were surprisingly impotent in their last outing against West Ham until Ryan Giggs roasted Jonathan Spector to force a game-breaking penalty. Tony Hibbert is whole-hearted but prone to the odd lunge, so he may need some protection down Everton's right flank on Saturday.
Player to watch: Nani. The Portugal international reacted to his crucial penalty miss at Fulham with a sparkling display against West Ham, including a goal and an assist. United have not won this fixture in the past two seasons, and they will look to Nani to change that statistic.
Talking point: Will Wayne Rooney play? And if he does will he keep his cool? The United striker has generally avoided controversy in this fixture in the past, but he is sure to baited more than ever by the Goodison faithful this weekend.
Prediction: 1-2
Bet of the day: Rooney to score first and United to win 2-1: 25/1 with Stan James

West Ham v Chelsea
Form: The fortunes of the two sides could barely be more contrasting. Chelsea have played three and won three, scoring 14 and conceding none. West Ham have played three and lost three, scoring one and conceding nine.
Key battle: Matthew Upson had a torrid time defending the long ball when Bolton visited Upton Park earlier in the season, and he is likely to be tested just as much by an in-form Didier Drogba. The Ivorian already has four Premier League goals to his name, although he failed to register in this fixture last season.
Player to watch: Florent Malouda. Seems to grow more intelligent with his runs from a wide position in every game that he plays. Currently a greater goal threat than Frank Lampard, and likely to enjoy an afternoon against Jonathan Spector.
Talking point: David Sullivan claims West Ham's foreigners will knuckle down now that they cannot leave the club until January. We await proof.
Prediction: 1-3
Bet of the day: West Ham to score first: 3/1 with Stan James

Marouane Chamakh has one goal to his name this season © Getty Images

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Arsenal v Bolton
Form: Bolton are enjoying a superb start to the new Premier League campaign, remaining unbeaten in their opening three matches, despite finding themselves 2-0 down and a man down against Birmingham in their last outing. Arsenal are also yet to lose, but injuries are ravaging Arsene Wenger's squad.
Key battle: Cesc Fabregas is fit and ready to pull the strings once again in the Arsenal midfield, but he is likely to come up against a man-marker in Fabrice Muamba. The former England Under-21 has proved himself to be a dedicated squadsman when it comes to sacrificing himself for the team, doing a fine job against Steven Gerrard last season, but he may find it more difficult to nail down the fluid movement of the Gunners.
Player to watch: Marouane Chamakh. With Robin van Persie ruled out for up to six weeks, the pressure falls on the Frenchman to fill his team-mate's boots.
Talking point: Can Arsenal cope with their growing injury list? Last season became derailed by injuries to key players, and already this season they have seen Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner enter the treatment room.
Prediction: 3-0
Bet of the day: Three or more goals in the first half: 7/2 with Stan James

Manchester City v Blackburn
Form: Manchester City find themselves under early pressure after picking up just four points from a possible nine this season. Defeat to Sunderland was as concerning for the performance as it was for the result, and they take on a Blackburn side who - despite suffering defeats to Birmingham and Arsenal - are not going down without a fight.
Key battle: Yaya Toure has been employed in a surprisingly advanced role by Roberto Mancini so far this season, and in their opening home game against Liverpool the Ivorian ruled the midfield. Vince Grella packs a punch for his size though, and Sam Allardyce is likely to be tempted to give him support in the shape of Steven N'Zonzi.
Player to watch: Adam Johnson. Produced a sizzling performance in the win against Liverpool, and showed more of the same when scoring twice for England against Bulgaria and Switzerland.
Talking point: How quickly can Mancini get his superstarts to gel? History shows he will not get long if City's lacklustre start to the season continues.
Prediction: 2-0
Bet of the day: Tevez to score first and City to win 2-0: 15/1 with Stan James

Birmingham v Liverpool
Form: Another side who have started sluggishly, Liverpool drew with Arsenal, lost badly at Manchester City and then limped past West Brom. Birmingham will be pleased with their start, remaining unbeaten in three games, although they will go into Sunday's clash off the back of a roasting from Alex McLeish after they let a two-goal lead slip at Bolton.
Key battle: James McFadden always seems to produce something when he faces Liverpool, and against an attacking fullback in Glen Johnson there is likely to be a crucial tussle to play the match on the front foot.
Player to watch: Fernando Torres. The Spaniard proved why he is so important to Liverpool by producing something out of nothing to get them off the hook against West Brom. Last season Steven Gerrard infamously shook his head when his colleague was taken off in this fixture, but Torres banged in two for Spain on Friday is likely to be the key factor in any potential Liverpool victory.
Talking point: How many of Roy Hodgson's new signings will feature at St Andrew's? Paul Konchesky is likely to start at left back, but will the Reds boss throw Raul Meireles straight into the first team?
Prediction: 1-0
Bet of the day: Liverpool not to score: 5/2 with Stan James

West Brom v Tottenham
Form: Typically, Tottenham have retained their ability to throw in shock defeats despite cementing their place in the Champions League this season. Following a superb performance against Manchester City and a crucial win at Stoke, they somehow contrived to lose at home to Wigan in their last outing. West Brom are yet to settle, losing heavily to Chelsea before beating Sunderland, and then defending well in a 1-0 loss to Liverpool.
Key battle: Hugo Rodallega gave the Spurs defence the runaround at White Hart Lane, so Roberto Di Matteo will ask Peter Odemwingie and Marc-Antoine Fortune to do likewise against the Tottenham centre-halves.
Player to watch: William Gallas. May or may not feature, but with Michael Dawson injured, Harry Redknapp may prefer to keep Ledley King fresh for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Werder Bremen. That would see Gallas get a debut for a club who used to love to hate him.
Talking point: Are Tottenham in danger of taking their eye off the ball as the start of the Champions League campaign beckons? The defeat to Wigan could have been by a greater margin, so Harry Redknapp will demand a response at the Hawthorns.
Prediction: 2-3
Bet of the day: Over four goals in the match: 5/1 with Stan James

Newcastle v Blackpool
Form: Two promoted sides on four points, Newcastle and Blackpool will both be delighted with the starts they've made to the new season. Blackpool were the best team Newcastle faced last season, but which side has made the better additions over the summer?
Key battle: Gary Taylor-Fletcher is proving a real threat for Blackpool, timing his arrival into the box perfectly from his wide left starting role, so James Perch will need to stay alert this weekend.
Player to watch: Kevin Nolan's task is to stay as close to Andy Carroll as possible, and the former Bolton man looks as though he might be ready to rediscover his old scoring form this season. New capture Hatem Ben Arfa is also well worth a look if he starts.
Talking point: Is Sol Campbell fit enough for Premier League football? And which of these two sides are the greater relegation candidates?
Prediction: 3-1
Bet of the day: Blackpool to win: 5/1 with Stan James

Fulham v Wolves
Form: The only team yet to win or lose in the league this season, Fulham have drawn all three of their opening encounters. That should not hide two very decent performances against Manchester United and Blackpool, although Wolves will fancy their chances of penetrating a leaky defence as they remain unbeaten.
Key battle: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake finally seems to be transferring his old Championship form to the top division, netting twice this season. Fulham have goal threats of their own in Bobby Zamora and Moussa Dembele, but the work of Brede Hangeland could be crucial at Craven Cottage.
Player to watch: Stephen Kelly. The pressure is on the former Spurs man to ensure the loss of Paul Konchesky is not felt at Fulham.
Talking point: What kind of season are Fulham in for? Three draws makes it feel like a decent start to the season, but it translates into one win and two defeats in points terms, meaning Mark Hughes needs a result this weekend.
Prediction: 2-1
Bet of the day: Dembele to score first and Fulham to win 2-1: 29/1 with Stan James

Wigan v Sunderland
Form: Two sides who are about as predictable as a roulette wheel. Wigan shipped 10 goals in two games and then went and beat Tottenham, while Sunderland lost at West Brom before defeating Manchester City.
Key battle: Mohamed Diame can be a mountainous figure in the Wigan midfield, and he should enjoy a good tussle with the always-willing Lee Cattermole.
Player to watch: Asamoah Gyan. Sunderland's record signing can rap as well as play football, but he arrives in England with a reputation to shake after missing THAT penalty in the World Cup.
Talking point: Are Wigan actually better than most critics believe? Or was the Spurs result a blip in a tough season?
Prediction: 1-2
Bet of the day: Gyan to score last: 13/2 with Stan James

Stoke v Aston Villa
Form: Stoke cannot buy a result after losing all three of their matches this season, while Aston Villa have dealt with their managerial upheaval surprisingly well, sitting in fourth place after two victories.
Key battle: Luke Young grabbed the winning goal against Everton but it is Ashley Young who shoulders the responsibility for carrying Villa's greatest attacking threat. Robert Huth has already failed to prevent Florent Malouda and Gareth Bale scoring this season, so he will need to be on his game on Monday night.
Player to watch: Ricardo Fuller. May not start, but he tormented Villa in this fixture a couple of seasons back, and he has the enigmatic brilliance to kick-start Stoke's campaign.
Talking point: How will Villa react to the arrival of new manager Gerard Houllier? The Frenchman won't be in official charge at the Britannia Stadium, but his players are likely to want to impress.
Prediction: 1-1
Bet of the day: Match to end goalless: 8/1 with Stan James

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