City gunning for Arsenal, United face QPR

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is confident his side can bounce back to winning ways when they host in-form Arsenal on Sunday. City suffered their first defeat of the Premier League season on Monday when they were beaten 2-1 away to Chelsea. The reverse came just days after City were dumped out of the UEFA Champions League to leave them under some pressure for the first time this season. They could not have wished for a harder next assignment against an Arsenal team that have won seven of their past eight league games to get their season back on track. But Kompany believes City should still triumph at home, where they have won all seven league games so far this season. "I definitely have a lot of respect for Arsenal," Kompany said. "On Sunday, we are looking to do what they have done. They have picked themselves up after a difficult month. The way they have done that is absolutely incredible. "I consider them as a top team, who will make a top game of it. But we are a difficult team to beat at home. There is no reason for us to be arrogant about this fixture. Arsenal are a great team. But we can beat great teams." City could find themselves displaced from top spot before the late kick-off, with their Manchester United away at Queen's Park Rangers at lunchtime on Sunday. United are two points behind in second place and will look to extend a six-game unbeaten run in the league since their 6-1 home reverse to City in October. Sir Alex Ferguson's side will have to do so without midfielder Darren Fletcher after it was revealed this week that he would take a complete break from football due to health reasons. The Scotland skipper is aiming to overcome the debilitating effects of a chronic inflammatory bowel condition, which has kept him sidelined for most of the season. On Saturday, third-placed Chelsea will look to build on their morale-boosting win over City when they travel to lowly Wigan. The pressure on new boss Andre Villas-Boas has subsided in the past week and, while he has had to rubbish claims the Blues would look to sell out-of-sorts record signing Fernando Torres next month, the Portuguese will expect to see his side notch a fourth win on the spin. Chelsea's west London rivals Fulham will look to overcome their last-gasp UEFA Europa League exit when they host bottom club Bolton while Blackburn, also in the drop zone, welcome West Brom. An injury-depleted Newcastle will look to end a four-game winless run that has seen them slip to seventh when they host Swansea, Everton welcome Norwich and Wolves entertain a Stoke side that ended Tottenham's winning run last weekend. On Sunday, Spurs will look to bounce back from that 2-1 defeat when they are at home to Sunderland - who beat Blackburn to kick off new boss Martin O'Neill's reign last weekend - while Liverpool travel to Aston Villa.