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Premier League questions: Can Everton break Merseyside derby hoodoo?

Jordan Henderson and Ross Barkley exchange words during the derby match at Goodison Park
Image: Jordan Henderson and Ross Barkley exchange words during the derby match at Goodison Park

Can Everton end their Merseyside derby hoodoo? Can Arsenal strike at the right time again? We look at the weekend's big questions.

After a break for international football, the top flight returns on Saturday with some pulsating fixtures and three games live on Sky Sports.

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It all kicks off when Liverpool host Everton on Premier League Live from 11.30am on Saturday, before seven games kick off at on Saturday afternoon.

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Watch a preview of Saturday’s Premier League games, including Liverpool v Everton, Chelsea v Crystal Palace and Leicester v Stoke

Then it is Swansea City v Middlesbrough on Nissan Super Sunday at 1.30pm before Arsenal take on Manchester City in a mouthwatering fixture.

Read on for the latest round of Premier League questions...

Who steps up as the race for Europe intensifies? Liverpool v Everton - Saturday from 11.30am, Live on Sky Sports 1 HD

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Everton's recent record in the Merseyside derby does not make pleasant reading for their fans.

They have not won at Anfield for 18 years, losing 4-0 on two of their last three trips to the home of their local rivals.

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And despite topping the form table after a strong start to 2017, that good record may actually count against the seventh-place Toffees.

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We talk to fans from Merseyside about this weekend's derby between Liverpool and Everton live on Sky Sports

That's because Liverpool love playing against top-10 teams, having taken more points against those sides (30 points from 14 games) than they have against the bottom 10 (26 points from 15 games).

It sets the stage for what could be a pivotal fixture in the battle for European qualification, with Liverpool in the mix for the Champions League and Everton chasing too.

Who will take the points in a pivotal relegation battle? Swansea v Middlesbrough - Super Sunday from 12.30pm, Live on Sky Sports 1 HD

The stakes get bigger with every passing week at the bottom of the table and these two sides have been trending in opposite directions as we enter the final 10 games of the season.

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Boro are mired in a terrible rut with goals their biggest problem. They have managed just 2.4 shots on target per match this league campaign, the lowest tally across Europe's top five divisions.

Swansea, who have won five matches since Paul Clement's appointment in January, will fancy their chances but back-to-back defeats to Hull and Bournemouth mean they are far from out of the woods just yet.

And they should be cautious having suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat in the reverse fixture at the Riverside, the only time Boro have scored more than twice this season.

Can Arsenal recover in race for top four? Arsenal v Man City - Super Sunday from 3.30pm, Live on Sky Sports 1 HD

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Watch a preview of Sunday’s Premier League games, including Swansea v Middlesbrough and Arsenal v Man City

It's been a rough two months for Arsenal, who have won just two matches - both against non-league opposition - since mid-February.

They have lost four of their last five in the league, allowing Manchester United to leapfrog them in the race for Champions League qualification.

It means they sit outside the top five in April for the first time since 2006.

But their home record against Manchester City in the league is good, having lost just one of their previous 19 meetings in north London.

Live Nissan Super Sunday

Can Burnley stop Dele Alli? Burnley v Tottenham - Saturday, 3pm

In the absence of the injured Harry Kane, it falls on the likes of Dele Alli to step into the goalscoring breach.

Fortunately for Spurs, the England international is playing some of the best football of his career.

Burnley will need to find a way to stop a player who has been involved in 10 goals in his last 10 league appearances in 2017.

Dele Alli celebrates scoring Tottenham's fourth goal
Image: Dele Alli has been in excellent goalscoring form for Tottenham

Working in their favour is their exceptional home record, with Sean Dyche's side reliant on a mean defence at Turf Moor.

They have kept three clean sheets in their last five home league games and will want more of the same to stop Alli and Christian Eriksen, who has had a hand in 10 goals in his last six Spurs games.

Can Palace keep the momentum going at Chelsea? Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Saturday, 3pm

There's no good time to play the league leaders but Crystal Palace will go into Saturday's match in their best form of the campaign so far.

Sam Allardyce's men have won three on the bounce, keeping clean sheets in all three games.

Sam Allardyce makes his way pitchside for the match between Crystal Palace and Watford at Selhurst Park
Image: Sam Allardyce has overseen a good turnaround at Palace

They face a mammoth task at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues edging ever closer to a second league title in three years.

Chelsea have won four of their last five league games against the Eagles, although that defeat did come at Stamford Bridge last season.

Will Snodgrass return to haunt the Tigers? Hull City v West Ham - Saturday, 3pm

West Ham completed the signing of Robert Snodgrass from Hull City on a three-and-a-half-year contract in January - robbing the Tigers of one of their key creative forces.

However, Snodgrass has yet to impress in east London with the Hammers picking up just one win in the seven matches he's been involved in.

Robert Snodgrass in action for West Ham United
Image: Robert Snodgrass in action for West Ham United

Hull manager Marco Silva had insisted there was no problem between him and Snodgrass, but that the player had made it clear he wanted to leave. Silva will want to show the Scot what's he's missing at the KCOM stadium, where Hull are unbeaten under their new boss.

Will Craig Shakespeare make history with another Foxes' Premier League victory? Leicester v Stoke - Saturday, 3pm

The revival of Leicester continues under Craig Shakespeare, and the former assistant manager could become the first British manager to win his first four Premier League games.

He would join illustrious company, with Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti the only other managers to have achieved the same feat in the English top flight.

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West Ham 2-3 Leicester

Add to the mix that the Foxes have lost just one of their five previous Premier League games against Stoke with no goals in the last three away fixtures for the Potters and Shakespeare could enter the history books this weekend.

Can West Brom take advantage of a depleted Manchester United defence? Man Utd v West Brom - Saturday, 3pm

Jose Mourinho faces a defensive headache on Saturday with centre-backs Phil Jones and Chris Smalling both injured over the international break, leading the Man Utd manager to make his feelings clear on the subject of friendly matches.

Their absence could prove costly for United, who have lost two of their last three home games against West Brom, with the Baggies scoring the join-highest number of goals from set-pieces alongside Crystal Palace (19) this season.

WEST BROMWICH, ENGLAND - MARCH 18: Craig Dawson of West Bromwich Albion (L) scores his sides third goal during the Premier League match between West Bromwi
Image: West Brom have scored 19 goals from set-pieces so far this season

Tony Pulis' men have outrun their opponents in 19 consecutive league games this season, while in contrast, Man Utd have been outrun by their opponents in all but three of their 27 Premier League matches this season - the worst record in the league this term.

Can Jermain Defoe add the Hornets to his list of teams scored against? Watford v Sunderland - Saturday, 3pm

It was a successful international break for Jermain Defoe, who scored for England after returning to the fold, and he could add another string to his bow by scoring for the first time against Watford on Saturday.

Jermain Defoe celebrates with Raheem Sterling after scoring on his return to the England side
Image: Jermain Defoe scored for England on his international return

The striker has played against the Hornets four times in all competitions, but has never found the back of the net against this weekend's hosts, although he has scored against 35 other Premier League clubs.

The Black Cats also haven't lost an away game against Watford in any competition since January 1999, with the last three meetings ending in a draw with one victory.

Will Claude Puel name the same XI for the fourth consecutive in a row? Southampton v Bournemouth - Saturday, 5.30pm

They say consistency is key, and Southampton manager Claude Puel has named the same starting line-up in the last three games, including the EFL Cup final loss to Manchester United.

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Tottenham 2-1 Southampton

A fourth in the south coast derby would be the first time the Saints have named successive XI's since a run of five games in November and December of 2012, and they will be hoping to level out a record of two loses and one win so far.

Bournemouth have also never won an away match at Southampton in any competition (D4 L8), while the Saints have won each of their last three of these home fixtures by a 2-0 scoreline, twice in the Premier League and once in the League Cup.

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