Arsenal have the chance to go top of the Barclays Premier League for the first time since March as they kick off Saturday's round of fixtures at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
Victory over their north London rivals will see the Gunners leapfrog Chelsea who then visit Birmingham City.
Manchester United hope to keep pace as they host Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers could move into the Champions League places if they win at home to Newcastle United.
Wolverhampton Wanderers travel to Blackpool and Stoke City go to West Bromwich Albion and the day's programme is rounded off by Liverpool taking on West Ham United at Anfield.
The north London derby is always keenly contested but this one has extra edge because Arsenal can go top of the Barclays Premier League with victory over their neighbours thanks to a sequence of five wins from their last six matches.
Spurs have only won once in the Premier League at the home of their neighbours. That was in the competition's first season, when they beat Arsenal 3-1, in May 1993. Since then they have drawn six and lost 11 visits.
Tottenham have not kept a clean sheet since the opening day of the season and have not had a shut-out at Arsenal since 1998.
The champions are desperate to get back on track following their surprise 3-0 home defeat by Sunderland.
Chelsea are bidding to avoid back-to-back Premier League defeats for the first time in 165 matches and have never lost to Birmingham in the Premier League in 12 meetings homes and away.
City's last victory over the Londoners came 16 matches ago in March 1980 when they racked up a 5-1 success at St Andrew's.
The Seasiders have the chance to open up a nine-point gap over Wolves who are desperate for points as they bid to escape the relegation zone.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last 10 visits to Bloomfield Road, winning six and drawing four since the Seasiders scored a 7-2 success in January 1962.
Ian Holloway's side have not won in three while Mick McCarthy's men have lost three in a row.
Both sides are flying high in the current form table with 11 points from their last six matches.
Bolton have taken seven points from a possible nine and have lost just one of their last nine in the Barclays Premier League.
Newcastle have won their last two on the road, at West Ham and Arsenal, but in 10 Premier League visits to Bolton they have won three and lost seven. Six of those defeats have come in their last seven visits.
Sir Alex Ferguson's men defend the only remaining unbeaten record in the country as they host the Latics who have lost their last two on the road.
United have not lost in the league since April, at home to Chelsea. In total they have now gone 18 matches without tasting defeat, 13 of those have come this season in the Premier League, two short of equalling the club record, set in the 1985-86 campaign.
If they avoid defeat at home to Wigan and then Blackburn Rovers, they can set a new club record at Blackpool, on 14th December.
United have won all 11 meetings between the clubs. Ten of those have been in the Premier League, with the Red Devils scoring 31 goals and conceding just four.
West Brom have lost three of their last four and have taken just one points from a possible 12. A fifth match without a victory would be their worst run since they failed to win in 11, from January to April 2009.
Stoke have won two in a row and are bidding for a hat-trick of victories for the first time in the Premier League.
Albion have not beaten Stoke since September 2003. Since then Stoke have won six and drawn one of their seven league meetings.
Liverpool aim to bounce back from their defeat at Stoke as they host the Hammers who have won just once all season.
The Hammers have drawn their last three but have not won in seven and have not won at Anfield since September 1963. In their 53 visits, West Ham have enjoyed success just three times, conceding 101 goals and scoring 29.
West Ham have netted in just three of their 15 visits in the Premier League while the Merseysiders are unbeaten in 15 meetings, winning 12 and drawing three.
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