Premier League interest ratings: the weekend's fixtures ranked by intrigue

10th: Manchester City vs Burnley (Saturday, 3pm)

Man City are on a mammoth unbeaten run in Saturday three o'clock kick-offs, and despite Burnley's reputation for obduracy this should be another straightforward win. The impending return of Kevin De Bruyne should elevate the champions' game to another level, and the point at Anfield could soon look a point gained despite Riyad Mahrez's skied penalty. Take one on the chops and move on might be the best policy for Burnley, whose season does not rest on these fixtures.

9th: Bournemouth vs Southampton (Saturday, 3.00pm)

English football's most tepid derby, but Bournemouth's attacking output this season is very impressive and makes them firm favourites for this one. Southampton paid for their passive approach against Chelsea and look very uninspiring under Mark Hughes. For a club that once set the example for how the Premier League's middle-class should be run, Southampton are short of identity and ideas, two qualities Eddie Howe and Bournemouth have in abundance.

READ MORE: Blindly loyal or maverick genius? Pochettino can only be one

READ MORE: Premier League - 10 things to look out for

8th: Wolves vs Watford (Saturday, 3.00pm)

The pressure should be off both teams after their strong starts, but Watford are now without since their comeback against Tottenham and have started to leak goals. A 4-0 home defeat to Bournemouth was a bizarre outcome and difficult to evaluate due to Watford's red card. Wolves are looking supremely solid having conceded one goal in their last five games and can start to cement their place in the top half after the international break. A lack of goals is the only concern.

7th: Newcastle vs Brighton (Saturday, 3.00pm)

A presentable chance for Newcastle to pick up their first win of the season, but do they have sufficient firepower? Brighton have not been particularly impressive, and the return of Jonjo Shelvey and Jamaal Lascelles give Newcastle a fighting chancing of climbing up the table. Rafael Benitez's team were impressive for 70 minutes at Man Utd last time out before wilting, but this is an opportunity to start the season afresh. There was just one goal in the two meetings between the teams last season, and do not expect many more on Saturday.

6th: Huddersfield vs Liverpool (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Two weeks ago this looked an away banker, but Liverpool's international break fitness worries have planted a small seed of doubt. Sadio Mane sustained a thumb injury, Virgil Van Dijk has been playing through two broken ribs while Mohamed Salah pulled up with a muscular problem on Egypt duty, though the latter two were back in full training this week. Huddersfield's attack is about as sharp as airport cutlery though, and Liverpool have stopped shooting themselves in the foot in these games. Even if Jurgen Klopp's side are hampered, they should be solid enough to secure all three points.

5th: Everton vs Crystal Palace (Sunday, 4pm)

If you're a Crystal Palace fan unaware of your upcoming fixtures, look away now. After this trip to Goodison, Palace face Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United in a fiendish run that could be a prelude to a long, dark winter. As every with Roy Hodgson's team, the lack of a reliable centre-forward is a serious handicap and the goals have dried up in home games. Everton are considering utilising Richarlison in the No.9 role flanked by Bernard (no, not Jeffrey) and Theo Walcott, and are starting to gather momentum.

4th: Arsenal vs Leicester (Monday, 8pm)

Many a smart alec is predicting Arsenal's form will tail off due to their unsustainable conversion rates and the chances opponents are missing - Unai Emery's team have scored with a remarkable 25% of their shots. Their victory at Fulham was a more rounded display, achieved with Aaron Ramsey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the bench and Mesut Ozil absent altogether. It will be intriguing to see if Emery recalls some of his big-name attackers at the risk of upsetting the collective balance. Leicester are consistently inconsistent with four wins and four defeats, but are a slippery opponent for the top teams and carry threat through Jamie Vardy, James Maddison and Demarai Gray, who could return from injury. Leicester have conceded three late winners on their last three visits to Arsenal, so will feel they are due one.

3rd: West Ham vs Tottenham Hotspur (Saturday, 3pm)

It is strange to see a London derby with a fair share of needle behind the 3pm blackout, and with all eyes on Stamford Bridge this fixture has flown under the radar. Kieran Trippier, Harry Kane and Eric Dier played yet more minutes with England, and West Ham should look to take the contest into the final 20 minutes and prey on any sign of fatigue. Their front three of Mark Arnuatovic, Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko is possibly the most dangerous outside of the top six. Spurs' three straight league wins before the break kept them in touch, but they really need Christian Eriksen back to peak form and fitness. Without him, guile and craft can be in short supply.

2nd: Chelsea vs Manchester United (Saturday, 12.30pm)

A fixture you would expect to top the rankings, but will we really learn anything new? Chelsea will still be in a strong position whatever the result, and Jose Mourinho will still be sat in the Old Trafford departure lounge whatever the result. Chelsea are the more cohesive and balanced team at present, but a small voice inside their fans' head will be concerned about the talent United still possess that can come to the fore on in a one-off game. Expect Chelsea to dominate the ball and try to break down a Jose Mourinho-orchestrated rearguard down. The question is, is this United defence capable of soaking up pressure against an attack of this calibre.

1st: Cardiff City vs Fulham (Saturday, 3pm)

Cardiff could find themselves out outside of the relegation places by the close of play on Saturday, and host porous Fulham in a truly significant game. Nobody at Cardiff will be surprised by their start to the season, but Fulham hand grander expectations following a summer transfer window in which they spent more than £100 million. Defeat in south Wales would leave Slavisa Jokanovic under immense pressure, and Fulham's underlying numbers have them as the worst defensive team in the league. Cardiff have been slightly more competitive than many feared and were unfortunate to lose their last home match against Burnley. Fulham must surely revert to a back four and try to maximise their individual talent in the top third.