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Premier League questions: Can Mohamed Salah equal more records? Will Spurs end their dismal run at Stamford Bridge?

Mo Salah
Image: Mo Salah has been in fantastic form for Liverpool this season, but can he match more records?

The Premier League returns this weekend and there will be a few questions answered.

It all kicks off in south London at lunchtime on Saturday as Crystal Palace host Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League before six games at 3pm including Manchester United v Swansea and West Ham v Southampton.

Manchester City travel to Everton in the 5.30pm kick-off on Saturday, before a Super Sunday double-header live on Sky Sports as Arsenal host Stoke at 1.30pm and Chelsea face Tottenham at 4pm.

Ahead of the games, we look at the potential questions that could be answered this weekend...

Can Mohamed Salah equal another Premier League record? (Crystal Palace v Liverpool, Saturday from 11.30am live on Sky Sports Premier League)

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Liverpool 5-0 Watford

Before the international break, it was all about Mohamed Salah after his four-goal haul against Watford as Liverpool won 5-0 with the Egyptian breaking all sorts of records in the process and continuing a superb debut season with the Reds.

Having scored in 20 of his 30 Premier League games this season, if he nets against Palace, he would equal the record for the number of matches scored in during a 38-game season. It currently stands at 21 games by Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08) and Robin van Persie (2012/13).

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Salah has also opened the scoring in eight Premier League games this term - the same number as Crystal Palace - although Eagles manager Roy Hodgson has won three of his last five top-flight meetings against his former side.

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Four in a row for the Seagulls? (Brighton v Leicester, Saturday, 3pm)

Brighton are continuing to make steady progress up the Premier League table, although after five games unbeaten, they did lose 2-0 to Everton a few weeks ago and will have another three points in their sights on Saturday.

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West Brom 1-4 Leicester

The Amex has been fruitful for the Seagulls too, having won each of their last three Premier League games - as many as they had won in their first 12 attempts in the top flight. Leicester won on their last away outing against West Brom after five on the road without a victory.

Both sides could well find the back of the net too, with 20 of the Foxes' Premier League games this season seeing each team scoring - the highest in the top flight - with Jamie Vardy having netted in four of Leicester's last five away games.

Can Romelu Lukaku continue his recent good form and make his century? (Man Utd v Swansea, Saturday, 3pm)

Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring for Manchester United against Brighton
Image: Romelu Lukaku has had a superb start to 2018 for Man Utd

2018 has been good to Romelu Lukaku. He has been directly involved in 14 goals in 14 games in all competitions (10 goals and four assists), and could reach 100 Premier League goals if he can find the net against Swansea on Saturday.

He scored against the Swans in the reverse fixture earlier this season when Manchester United won 4-0 at the Liberty Stadium, with Jose Mourinho's side yet to concede a goal against the Welsh team in the two fixtures they have played this term (also a 2-0 victory in the EFL Cup in October 2017).

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Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool

But Swansea have a good record at United, having avoided defeat in three of their last five visits to Old Trafford (W2 D1 L2) although they have not won in their last four away Premier League games.

Can Huddersfield end their goal drought? (Newcastle v Huddersfield, Saturday, 3pm)

Goals have been hard to come by for Huddersfield this season - they have the joint-second lowest tally of strikes (25) along with Swansea and ahead of bottom side West Brom (24). They have failed to find the back of the net in their last three Premier League outings against Tottenham, Swansea and Crystal Palace.

They have been on similar runs twice before this season, but they are yet to go four games without scoring in the Premier League. While Huddersfield have only scored in four of their 15 away games in the top flight this season, they haven't lost any of those games (W3 D1).

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Newcastle 3-0 Southampton

Newcastle are also looking to extend a run themselves, having won their last two Premier League games at St James' Park, although they haven't won three consecutive matches at home in the top flight since a run of four under Alan Pardew in December 2014.

Home comforts to help the Hornets? (Watford v Bournemouth, Saturday, 3pm)

Javi Gracia may still be adapting to life in the Premier League, but he has certainly found home comforts at Vicarage Road where he has won all of his top-flight games - against Chelsea, Everton and West Brom.

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Bournemouth 2-1 West Brom

The last time Watford won four in a row in the top flight was in December 1986 under Graham Taylor, but having lost just one of their last 16 home games against Bournemouth in all competitions - including seven wins - that record could well be matched.

Four of the five Premier League meetings between the two sides have ended level, although Watford did win the reverse fixture earlier this season, picking up a 2-0 victory at the Vitality Stadium in August 2017.

Can the Baggies finally find a win? (West Brom v Burnley, Saturday, 3pm)

West Brom manager Alan Pardew
Image: Alan Pardew faces a battle to keep West Brom in the Premier League

West Brom continue to struggle at the foot of the Premier League table, now ten points off safety with just seven games to go. Indeed, they have lost each of their last seven league games and are two away from matching their longest run of defeats in the top flight between August and September 1985 (9).

However, the Baggies have won nine of their last 10 home league matches against Burnley (D1) - winning the last two 4-0 - although Sean Dyche's men have been hard to beat on their travels this term.

Burnley have won a league-high 48.8% of their Premier League points away from home this season - 21 of their 43 - and have won their last two top-flight games both home and away against Everton and West Ham.

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West Ham 0-3 Burnley

Can Mark Hughes win his first Premier League game as Saints manager? (West Ham v Southampton, Saturday, 3pm)

Mark Hughes has already made his official debut as Southampton manager and it was a winning start, beating Wigan 2-0 in the FA Cup quarter-finals, but his main task of keeping the Saints in the Premier League begins in earnest on Saturday.

Hughes will become only the second person to manage six different clubs in the Premier League after Sam Allardyce (7), but he has not won his first top-flight match in charge of a club since September 2004 at Blackburn. At his four subsequent clubs, he has drawn once (with Fulham) and lost three (Man City, QPR and Stoke).

Mark Hughes
Image: Mark Hughes has already overseen his first victory as Southampton manager, but can he do it in the league?

West Ham are two points and one place ahead of Southampton - who currently occupy the final relegation spot - and will be hoping for a vital three points themselves, but have lost each of their last three league games by a margin of three goals. The last English top-flight side to lose four in a row by such a margin were Nottingham Forest back in April 1968.

Could Everton provide a stumbling block for the champions-elect? (Everton v Man City, Saturday, 5.30pm)

Manchester City appear to be cruising to the Premier League title, but they will face a tricky fixture against Everton this weekend where they have struggled before, losing 4-0 at Goodison Park last season - Pep Guardiola's heaviest league defeat as a manager.

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Stoke 0-2 Man City

Furthermore, Man City are winless in their last four Premier League matches against the Toffees (D3 L1) and Everton have won six of their last nine home games against City in all competitions (D1 L2) meaning plenty of concentration will be required from the champions-elect.

But should Guardiola's side beat Everton on Saturday, they will become only the third team to beat all other teams in a single Premier League season, after Chelsea in 2005/06 and Manchester United in 2010/11.

Can Arsenal continue their Premier League home form against the Potters? (Arsenal v Stoke, Sunday from 12.30pm live on Sky Sports Premier League)

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Arsenal 3-0 Watford

After four successive losses in all competitions, Arsenal won their last three games before the international break and will be looking to kick off a run of three games at the Emirates with victory against Stoke.

The stats make for good reading too, with the Gunners having won their last 15 home matches against the Potters in all competitions, a run that stretches back to August 1981 when Stoke won 1-0 at Highbury thanks to a goal by Lee Chapman.

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While Stoke did win 1-0 in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Arsenal's current run of 12 consecutive home top-flight wins against Stoke is the longest winning run in their top-flight history. The Gunners also have the highest percentage of Premier League points won at home this season (72.9% or 35/48).

Are Spurs able to end their dismal run at Stamford Bridge? (Chelsea v Tottenham, Sunday from 3.30pm live on Sky Sports Premier League)

It has been a long time since Tottenham beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - over 18 years in fact. The Blues are unbeaten in their last 27 home league matches against Spurs (W18 D9) since losing 2-1 in February 1990.

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Bournemouth 1-4 Tottenham

Indeed, Spurs' 25 games at Stamford Bridge without winning in the Premier League is the most that one team has played on one ground without a single victory in the competition, but they do enter the game in much better form.

They are unbeaten in their last 12 Premier League games - winning the last four - while Chelsea have lost four of their last six league matches, with the only wins coming against bottom of the table West Brom and Crystal Palace.

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