Arsenal vs Manchester City would have been the biggest game of the weekend, the one every Premier League fan would have been looking forward, until that big news hit on Thursday, with Jose Mourinho getting the Chelsea sack.

Now, all eyes on the action at the weekend will be on Chelsea's home game against Sunderland. Will there even be a caretaker manager in the dugout for the match on Saturday, if so who will it be?

Guus Hiddink looks like being the answer to that question, with the Dutchman tipped to take over as interim manager until the end of the season. Who the Chelsea manager will be from next season, is anybody's guess again, with Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone and Carlo Ancelotti amongst the names linked.

While Mourinho's sacking was inevitable, what will be interesting to see is how the Chelsea players respond on Saturday. It has become increasingly clear the players were not playing for their manager anymore, which was one of the main reasons behind Roman Abramovich deciding to fire Mourinho.

You feel there will be a change in the quality of play on Saturday, and while it might not be anywhere close to the level they found so often last season, it probably will be good enough to trump Sam Allardyce's Sunderland.

There are two other pretty big games on Saturday, with Leicester City, the current Premier League leaders, travelling to Everton, while Manchester City host Norwich City.

Leicester have been stunning this season, with Claudio Ranieri's men playing some sumptuous football. The 2-1 win over Chelsea on Monday proved to be Mourinho's final game in charge, with Leicester outplaying their opposition yet again on that occasion.

Everton are a team who do keep a hold of the ball for long periods – even if their actual strength might lie in the quick counter – and that will suit Leicester quite well again, with Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, no doubt, again looking to get on the scoresheet.

Manchester United desperately need to manufacture a win against Norwich, having gone three Premier League games without a victory. After two straight draws against Leicester and West Ham, Manchester United fell to Bournemouth last weekend and another poor result on Saturday will increase the pressure on Louis Van Gaal.

Southampton vs Tottenham also should be an interesting watch, as Mauricio Pochettino returns to his former club, while there is a proper six-pointer in the late game on Saturday when Newcastle United host Aston Villa.

The big game on Sunday is Watford vs Liverpool, with Quique Sanchez Flores' men currently in a lofty seventh place, a point ahead of Liverpool. Watford's two strikers – Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney – have been outstanding this season, and Jurgen Klopp will have to drill his defence expertly if Liverpool are to stop from conceding at Vicarage Road.

Finally, we have the marquee game of the weekend's action with Arsenal hosting Manchester City at the Emirates. Arsenal are a point ahead of Manchester City at the moment, and Wenger will know a win is the kind of momentum needed to push on and really make a run for the title.

City will be thinking along the same lines as well, and this is a match in which the better defence will walk away with the three points; because you feel both teams will have enough ammunition to score.

Premier League schedule: Saturday, 19 December (all timings 3 pm GMT, 8.30 pm IST, 10 am ET, unless mentioned): Chelsea vs Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.

Everton vs Leicester City at Goodison Park.

Manchester United vs Norwich City at Old Trafford.

Southampton vs Tottenham at St. Mary's.

Stoke City vs Crystal Palace at Britannia.

West Brom vs Bournemouth at the Hawthorns.

Newcastle United vs Aston Villa (5.30 pm GMT, 11 pm IST, 12.30 pm ET) at St. James' Park.

Sunday, 19 December: Watford vs Liverpool 1.30 pm GMT, 7 pm IST, 8.30 am ET) at Vicarage Road.

Swansea City vs West Ham United (4 pm GMT, 9.30 pm IST, 11 am ET) at Liberty Stadium.

Monday, 21 December: Arsenal vs Manchester City (8 pm GMT, 1.30 am IST (Tuesday), 3 pm ET) at the Emirates.

TV listings: India: Star Sports network. UK: BT Sport and Sky Sports. USA: NBCSN. Canada: TSN and Sportsnet. Australia: Fox Sports. Middle East and North Africa: Bein Sports. Singapore: