With the latest round of international fixtures out of the way, attention turns to Anfield at Saturday lunchtime with Liverpool hosting Champions and bitter rivals Manchester United.
It is a clash which will be a huge test of the title credentials of Kenny Dalglish's side as the Reds look to put down a marker and derail United's own title bid.
Liverpool fans will be looking for a repeat of last seasons Anfield victory over United in a match where Luis Suarez fully announced himself onto the Premier League scene with a fantastic display as he ran the United defence ragged.
As much as Liverpool fans would like to believe they can genuinely challenge for the title, the reality is that Manchester City are likely United's main rivals for the title. However, no matter who is competing with them for the title, their rivalry with Liverpool will always be the biggest, especially now with Sir Alex Ferguson's rival Dalglish - with whom he's never seen eye to eye - back in the hot seat.
All eyes this lunchtime will be on Wayne Rooney who has just been dealt the hammer blow of being ruled out of England's entire Euro 2012 group campaign, a result which may even put his inclusion in the squad in doubt.
With fresh question marks being made about his temperament, it will be very interesting to watch how he handles the intense pressure that is associated with this fixture. Although it could of course work the other way and he could put in the performance of his life.
Despite the financial muscle of Chelsea and Manchester City, these two giants remain England's biggest clubs and between them they sell more football shirts around the world than any other combination of clubs.
It's one of the toughest matches to call between the side in recent years with Liverpool's rather inconsistent form making it difficult to judge which team will turn up. But with Steven Gerrard back in the fold and Andy Carroll's confidence improving after his recent winner at Goodison Park, I'm tipping Liverpool to pull off a narrow 2-1 victory.
It's likely to be a token gesture in the wider title picture this season, but would be a sure-fire sign that Dalglish has his troops marching in the right direction.
Written by Colin Hill, a sports blogger who writes about football gifts.
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