An under-strength Arsenal face a huge test of their Premier League title credentials at rivals Tottenham, in what is sure to be a heated North London derby, while Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag desperately needs a response from his side at Southampton. After criticism from club legend Cristiano Ronaldo, a win for Erik ten Hag would help quieten the murmurs. We look at the pick of the action as the English top-flight returns from an international break this weekend:

Can Arsenal cope?

Arsenal have already blinked first in the title race to fall two points behind Manchester City and Liverpool.

The Gunners were held 1-1 at home by Brighton last time out after Declan Rice was harshly sent-off early in the second half.

Rice is therefore suspended for Sunday’s north London derby to compound injury worries for Mikel Arteta.

Captain Martin Odegaard is expected to miss three weeks due to an ankle injury picked up on international duty with Norway.

New signing Mikel Merino is also absent from the Arsenal midfield with a shoulder injury.

However, there was some good news for Arsenal as Arteta signed a new three-year deal on Thursday.

“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team,” said the Spaniard.

Arteta has led Arsenal to second-place finishes in each of the past two seasons but he must come up with a masterplan to avoid leaving his side with an early mountain to climb in the title race.

A trip to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium kicks off a daunting run of three tough away games in eight days.

Arsenal face Europa League winners Atalanta on Thursday in the Champions League before a showdown against City.

Ten Hag pleads for patience

Just three games into the new Premier League season, Erik ten Hag is under pressure once more after consecutive defeats for Manchester United.

A 3-0 humbling at the hands of Liverpool on the back of a 2-1 loss at Brighton has done little to suggest the Red Devils have made substantial progress from finishing eighth last season.

“We will see where we are in May. It is very early in the season and it is about winning trophies (and) being as high as possible in the league,” Ten Hag said on Thursday.

“It (noise around the club) doesn’t impact me – I know in the process where we are. We have to integrate a lot of young players in the team.”

United head to promoted Southampton on Saturday lunchtime looking to avoid suffering three successive league defeats for the first time since December 2015.

The Saints are yet to register a point from their opening three games after bouncing back into the top flight.

Hat-trick history for Haaland?

Erling Haaland has started the season in ominous form for anyone hoping to snatch away City’s crown after a record four consecutive titles for Pep Guardiola’s men.

The Norwegian has scored back-to-back hat-tricks against Ipswich and West Ham, after also netting in the opening weekend win at Chelsea.

Haaland now has eight hat-tricks in just 69 Premier League games and is one of six players to score a hat-trick in two consecutive games.

No one has ever done three in a row, though, and the visit of Brentford to the Etihad offers the prolific 24-year-old a shot at more goalscoring history.

Arne Slot enjoyed a winning bow as Liverpool boss at Anfield with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah scoring in a 2-0 win over Brentford on Sunday. The Reds join Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton as the only sides with maximum points from two games of the new Premier League season. Tougher tests lie ahead of Slot in his daunting task of succeeding Jurgen Klopp, starting with a visit to Manchester United next weekend. But the early signs are positive for the Dutchman as his side are yet to concede and showcased their wealth of attacking options, spearheaded by Salah.

“Most players are quite used to what we want because it is not too different to what Jurgen did in the past,” said Slot after building on an opening weekend win at Ipswich.

“We still have to prove a lot against teams that can end up in the top six.”

Slot is expected to instill a more possession-focused approach than the one adopted by Klopp in his near nine years in charge.

However, Liverpool’s opener was straight out of the Klopp copybook.

From a Brentford corner, Salah released Diogo Jota, who timed his pass perfectly into Diaz to charge through on goal and fire into the top corner on 13 minutes.

Thereafter there were only flashes of the football Slot is hoping to bring in the first half.

Brentford were again missing Ivan Toney, who is expected to leave the club before Friday’s transfer deadline.

But the Bees still posed a threat without the England striker and should have levelled 10 minutes into the second half.

Nathan Collins met Mathias Jensen’s enticing cross with a bullet header that Alisson Becker did brilliantly to parry.

That warning awoke Liverpool from their slumber early in the second period.

Collins made a goal-saving block moments later to deny Jota turning in Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s low cross.

Vitaly Janelt was next to get a vital foot in to prevent Salah rounding off a slick team move.

Brentford goalkeeper Mark Flekken then produced a brilliant stop to turn Diaz’s powerful effort behind.

As is so often the case, the Reds had to turn to Salah to provide the clinical finish to finally make the points safe.

The impressive Diaz this time bagged the assist and the Egyptian managed to time his run perfectly to remain onside and dink the ball over Flekken.

“In the first half there is more energy in the other team, then in the second half it eventually leads to gaps that open up,” added Slot.

“In the end Brentford didn’t have the legs anymore to defend us.”

Slot was serenaded in the closing stages by the 60,000 crowd chanting his name — as they had been instructed to do by Klopp at his farewell in May.

For much of last season Liverpool looked on course to give Klopp a glorious goodbye as they rivalled City and Arsenal for the title until falling away in the final weeks of the season.

There has been much consternation among the Liverpool support at the lack of a single new signing heading into the final week of the transfer window to strengthen that squad.

But they look best placed of the rest to push City and Arsenal again if there is to be a three-way battle for the title.

Brentford got their Premier League season off to a flying start with a 2-1 over Crystal Palace.© AFP