Bolton faced a daunting trip to Old Trafford, where they had not beaten Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United since September 2002. Arsenal travelled to Stoke, having lost at the Britannia Stadium both in this league fixture last season and in the FA Cup in January. Sunderland inflicted a surprise defeat on Arsenal when the sides met at the Stadium of Light in November 2009, so Arsene Wenger's team will look for revenge. Both teams have managers from foreign climes, with champions City led by Italy's Roberto Mancin

There are a host of important matches at the other end of the table as the battle to avoid relegation intensifies. Wolves face a tricky away trip to Old Trafford, where they have not beaten Manchester United since 1980. From the 2004–05 season, a second programme, Match of the Day 2, usually airs on the following Sunday. Champions Manchester City meet Stoke at the Britannia Stadium, which was the scene of a Peter Crouch wonder strike when then teams drew there last season. Meanwhile, Stoke were looking for a first top-flight double over Liverpool, having beaten the Reds 2-0 at the Britannia Stadium in November.Match of the Day uses a selection of BBC and freelance commentators, including: Guy Mowbray, Steve Wilson, Jonathan Pearce, Steve Bower, Simon Brotherton, Conor McNamara, Vicki Sparks, Alistair Mann, Martin Fisher, Mark Scott, John Roder, Chris Wise, Robyn Cowen, Steven Wyeth, Tom Gayle and Ben Andrews. Gabby Logan sits down for an in-depth interview with Gareth Southgate as they look back at England’s World Cup campaign with a host of contributions from key members of the squad.

The pick of the action includes newly-promoted Norwich's trip to Chelsea, and the West Midlands derby between Aston Villa and Wolves. Elsewhere, title-chasing Manchester City host relegation-threatened Blackburn, while Chelsea - whose minimum aim for Andre Villas-Boas is a Champions League position - take on Owen Coyle's Bolton Wanderers, another Lancashire club who are desperately trying to avoid the dreaded drop. Chelsea have beaten Norwich 4-0 in their last two encounters at Stamford Bridge, although the Canaries lead their illustrious opponents by four wins to three in Premier League meetings.Spurs have made 22 unsuccessful league trips across London since Gary Lineker himself was among the scorers in a 2-1 win in February 1990. The Blues are fighting for a Champions League place, and Fulham have shone at times this season as Martin Jol puts his own unique stamp on the Cottagers. In 1983, the programme reverted to being shown on Saturday night, although that year four broadcasts were lost due to industrial action.