The Big 5: Manchester United's clash with Arsenal headlines your weekend football fix

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THERE'S one fixture that dominates all the others in this weekend's schedule - not just because of the battle of the heavyweights, but because it is going to teach us a lot about last year's champions, and the team who has made the best start at trying to knock them off their perch.

Here's this week's BIG FIVE.

CHAMPIONS v CHAMPIONS-ELECT?
Manchester United v Arsenal, Monday 1.55am (EDT), Fox Sports 1 HD

At any time, any place, this is a mouth-watering fixture. But is the first instalment for 2013-2014 a match-up between the champions and champions-elect?

History suggests David Moyes's side can flex their Old Trafford muscles and restore what they'd call the natural order, but form is another matter.

Although Manchester United have lost only one of their last nine encounters with Arsenal in the EPL, Old Trafford has not been the fortress this season that we've come to expect.

Arsenal, meanwhile, head into this blockbuster after impressively beating Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund in the last week, and will be desperate to impress in the first clash against a top-four side from last term (they didn't win any of those clashes last season).

Wenger hailed the metal, defensive stability and midfield experience his side showed in Germany, and expects a repeat on the weekend.

"It strengthens the belief of my team that we can put another great performance in another massive game on Sunday," said Wenger. "We want this kind of performance again."

It's a huge chance for Moyes's troops to re-assert themselves - but can they? If they struggled with Manchester City, West Brom, Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke, how will they cope with Arsenal's swashbuckling midfield?

LIVE Action On Fox Sports

Watch KICK OFF for more from Mark Schwarzer, then on Saturday night at 10.30pm (EDT), a full half-hour interview will air on FOX SPORTS NEWS, replayed 9pm on Sunday on Fox Sports 1. 

•  A-LEAGUE
• • Friday night: Melbourne Heart v Western Sydney Wanderers, 7.30pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
  • Saturday: Wellington v Perth, 3pm; Adelaide v Newcastle Jets, 5.30pm; Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory, 7.30pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
  • Sunday: Central Coast v Brisbane, 5pm, Fox Sports 1 HD
     
  • Friday Kick Off: First interview with Mark Schwarzer, plus Daniel McBreen and Michael Cockerill. 
  • Sunday Shootout: Mark Milligan, Darren Lewis, plus Aaron Ramsey interview.
    
    
    
    
  • EPL 
    
  • Saturday night/Sunday morning:
    Liverpool v Fulham, 1.50am, Fox Sports 1 HD
  • Viewers' Choice: Aston Villa v Cardiff, Chelsea v West Brom, Crystal Palace v Everton, Southampton v Hull 
  • Norwich v West Ham, 4.25am, Fox Sports 1 HD
    
    
    
  • Sunday night: Tottenham v Newcastle, 11pm, Fox Sports 1 HD 
  • Sunderland v Manchester City, 1am, Fox Sports 1 HD
  • Manchester United v Arsenal, 2.55am, Fox Sports 1 HD
  • Swansea v Stoke City, 2.55am, Fox Sports 2 HD
    
    
    
  • LA LIGA
  • Celta Vigo v Rayo Vallencano, 7.55am, Fox Sports 2 HD
  • Espanyol v Sevilla, 9.55pm, Fox Sports 3 HD

Can Moyes afford to play a rigid 4-4-2 and expect to contain the prowess of Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Luke Wilshere and co?

The tantalising match-ups aren't restricted to the field, where Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney's flourishing combination holds so much importance. The off-field barbs have begun, and Arsenal, five points ahead on the table, probably win this sledging bout on points as well.

Rooney this week tried to bring up the ghosts of 2007-2008 and 2010-2011 when Arsenal faded in the league, declaring: "We'll wait and see where they are in March. We've seen before that they've been in the top two until February or March and then faded away, so it's down to them to try and stay there. They're doing brilliantly at the minute and it's up to us to catch them."

But here's an insight into how Arsenal are feeling, courtesy of man-of-the-moment Aaron Ramsey:
"I think the boss said the other day that from January we're the team in the league who have picked up the most points, from last season as well," said Ramsey. "I don't think our form has been that bad after Christmas."

And if you're looking for omens: Arsenal have won three times at Old Trafford in the EPL - and won the league two out of those three times (1997-1998, 2001-2002).
SOLDADO, CAN YOU SCORE?
Tottenham v Newcastle, Sunday 11pm (EDT), Fox Sports 1 HD
They're solid, and hard to beat - there's no doubt about that. But while Andre Villas-Boas is annoyed when his fans are quiet, the White Hart Lane faithful might return the agitation if goals don't start flowing for their expensively assembled outfit.

Spurs have scored just nine goals all season. Indeed, it's a great effort to be sitting fourth - Manchester City, one point behind, have scored 19 more goals.

At the other end, they don't look like conceding - even when their keeper doesn't know where he is! It's been quite a few weeks for AVB, first with the tete-a-tete with his own team's fans, then the criticism for keeping Hugo Lloris on after a head knock against Everton - a debate which has reached Parliament!

Qualification to the Europa League knockout stages will be a relief, but so will a breakthrough performance from Erik Lamela, who might come into the side to face Newcastle. As he ponders for more cut and thrust, Jermain Defoe has put his hand up again, scoring against FC Sheriff. There have been plenty of pundits beginning to question whether Roberto Soldado up front has the movement and incisiveness to carry Tottenham to the heights they want to reach this term.

While Spurs have been uber consistent, if lacking a cutting edge, their opponents have been anything but - providing a rollicking ride for their fans.
Will the team that conquered Chelsea turn up to White Hart Lance, or the team humiliated in the Tyne Wier derby?