The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool headlines another exciting Barclays Premier League weekend.

Liverpool travel to Goodison Park for first of the weekend clashes, with Rafa Benitez's men currently in third place thanks to three wins and two draws from their first five matches.

A 0-0 draw against newly promoted Stoke City last time out proved to be a major disappointment to the red half of Merseyside, especially as it followed the Anfield side's victory over Manchester United a week earlier.

Everton's last game in the Premier League was a 2-2 draw at Hull City, and they have since been beaten in the Carling Cup by Blackburn Rovers. Liverpool meanwhile squeezed past Crewe 2-1 in the same competition.

Saturday's encounter at Goodison Park will provide Liverpool new boy Robbie Keane with yet another chance to break his goal drought. The Republic of Ireland striker has been firing blanks since his big-money move from Tottenham in the summer.

He has failed to find the net in his first five league games for Liverpool, but sees the Merseyside derby as the ideal game to open his account.

"Tottenham got quite a few good results against them while I was there, so hopefully that will be the same this time around with Liverpool," Keane told Liverpool's official website, www.liverpoolfc.tv.

"But at this moment in time I'll be happy with just the one goal.

"I think every player wants to be involved in big games and they don't come any bigger than Everton against Liverpool. It's the first one of the season so I think everyone is looking forward to it - especially me."

The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Chelsea, both have top-flight new boys to contend with.

The Gunners, who looked in imperious form in the League Cup in midweek as a second-string side walloped Sheffield United, host Hull.

The pre-season relegation favourites have started the campaign impressively, winning two of their opening five games, but the trip to the Emirates will be the biggest test so far for Phil Brown's men.

Chelsea travel to face a Stoke side who held Liverpool to an impressive goalless draw in their last outing.

The Blues have scored 12 goals in their last four games though as they look to wrest the title back from Manchester United and will hope to continue such free-scoring form at the Britannia Stadium.

Manchester United will aim to kickstart their stuttering campaign when Bolton come to Old Trafford.

The Champions have let leads slip in their last two league games, going down 2-1 to Liverpool and then drawing 1-1 with Chelsea.

In between they could only manage a goalless draw at home to Villarreal in their opening Champions League game, so will be looking to find some kind of form this weekend.

Newcastle will be aiming to bring to an end a run of four straight defeats when they face Blackburn.

Sunday sees Portsmouth striker Jermaine Defoe look to heap further misery on his former club when basement boys Tottenham head to the south coast, while two former Manchester United team-mates go head to head on the touchline as Steve Bruce's Wigan face Mark Hughes' Manchester City.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Middlesbrough host West Brom, West Ham travel to Fulham and Aston Villa welcome Sunderland.