Top fixtures to watch out for ahead of another Premier League weekend

Premier League preview: Leicester's new boss, Forest vs. Ipswich thriller, Man Utd under pressure, and Liverpool faces struggling Man City.

Manchester City will hope to find their rhythm when they visit Anfield this weekend, it will the the standout fixture in the whole of Europe. (Photo credit: Optus)

The Premier League returns early this weekend with Brighton hosting Southampton at the Amex, a game you expect the home side to win, but there are other key fixtures that will shape managerial decisions and the log; we take a look at some of them ahead of another feisty weekend.

Leicester City named Ruud Van Nistelrooy as their new manager following the sacking of Steve Cooper last weekend. Steve Cooper's style of play and poor results led to his sacking; however, the availability of the Dutchman from Manchester United may have expedited the decision.

It’s unclear whether Van Nistelrooy would take charge on Saturday; however, the trip to Brentford is one the Foxes must take seriously. The Bees hold the top home record in the league, led by the impressive duo of Bryan Mbeumo and Yoan Wissa, and Leicester must exert their utmost effort at the G-Tech stadium.

Another fixture to look forward to is the one at the City Ground with Ipswich Town as the visitors. Forest has now suffered back-to-back losses, with the most recent one occurring at the Emirates against Arsenal; while losing to Arsenal is not disheartening, it is crucial to maintain the momentum that initially sparked excitement about Forest.

Ipswich took the game to Manchester United, giving the Red Devils something to think about, and their one point felt like two dropped; it’s a game of two teams who need the confidence; a win for either side means a lot for identical reasons. It will be a cracker at the City Ground.

Given that they conceded two goals quickly at home in the Europa League, every Manchester United game will now come under intense scrutiny. The 3-2 win over Bodo/Glimt shows promise, but Ruben Amorim also knows there is a lot of work to do.

The visit of Everton to Old Trafford should be a good ground to step things up, fine-tune some plans, and give the home crowd a show. Everton, on the other hand, needs to get results everywhere they can as they continue to fight for their top-flight status.

The standout fixture of the weekend is the one at Anfield between Liverpool and Manchester City. Given their current form, Liverpool should easily win this match, despite Manchester City's struggles in winning games. However, can you completely rule out Pep Guardiola's team?

Liverpool is in a great place, but their visitors are at the exact opposite end; the Cityzens’ inability to close out a 3-0 lead on Wednesday explains how vulnerable they have become defensively. Can they find their spark at Anfield?