The starting 11

I'm back home in Toronto after two weeks in Vancouver covering the Canadian women's team and its successful quest to qualify for the Olympics.

One of the nicest things about being home is getting re-acclimated to the Premier League. So, here is the Starting XI:

ARSENAL vs BLACKBURN, SATURDAY @7:55 AM ET

1. Who will stop Robin van Persie?

The turmoil surrounding Blackburn, especially its back line, is very noticeable. Former captain Ryan Nelsen had his contract cancelled by the club, and was subsequently signed by Spurs.

Meanwhile, current captain Christopher Samba will not play on Saturday despite being "fit and available," according to manager Steve Kean. Samba handed in a transfer request last month, which is the reported source of tension between player and manager.

Arsenal will also be looking for a measure of revenge. Back in September, Arsenal allowed three second-half goals (including two own goals) in a 4-3 loss at Ewood Park.

NORWICH CITY vs BOLTON, SATURDAY @ 9:30 AM ET (LIVE ON SPORTSNET)

2. When will they learn?

Norwich lost 3-0 to Sunderland this week, just the second loss for the club since early December. Canadian Simeon Jackson, despite scoring the game-winner over West Brom in an FA Cup match last weekend, did not appear.

In fact, since December, Norwich is winless in four league matches when Jackson is an unused substitute, compared to an undefeated record in six matches (3-3-0) when he makes an appearance.

QPR vs WOLVERHAMPTON, SATURDAY @ 10 AM ET (LIVE ON SPORTSNET WORLD)

3. Will QPR's in-season investments start to pay dividends?

No Premier League team spent more on January acquisitions than QPR, but will that money produce wins? The club has just one victory over its last 11 matches.

Former Lazio striker Djibril Cisse scored on Wednesday in his QPR debut and Bobby Zamora is expected to play against Wolves.

Cisse and Zamora add to what is without a doubt the most overhauled team in the Premiership. Should they both be in the starting 11 on Saturday, QPR could feature a line-up with as many as eight players that were not on the team last season (Cisse, Zamora, Wright-Phillips, Barton, Young, Taiwo, Onuoha, A. Ferdinand).

MANCHESTER CITY vs FULHAM, SATURDAY @ 12:30 PM ET (LIVE ON SPORTSNET)

4. Is this as lopsided of a matchup as you might believe?

Manchester City is top of the table, while Fulham sits 13th. City have yet to concede a point at home this season, Fulham has just one road win in 11 matches.

However, led by American Clint Dempsey, Fulham is a respectable 2-1-1 in 2012. Dempsey has four goals during that time, and is just two away from his career high of 12 set last season.

Meanwhile, Yaya Toure remains out for Manchester City as he completes his tour at the Africa Cup of Nations. City's goal differential is a modest plus-1 through three matches without Toure. Of course, it was plus-40 in 20 matches with Toure in the line-up.

The longer Toure remains absent, the longer it becomes clear (to me, at least) that he is City's most valuable player.

STOKE CITY vs SUNDERLAND, SATURDAY @ 10 AM ET (REPLAY ON SPORTSNET WORLD @ 4 PM ET)

5. How long will Martin O'Neill's run last?

Believe it or not, Sunderland has been the top-performing team in the Premier League since Martin O'Neill took over in early December, racking up 19 points in nine matches (6-1-2).

The club is doing it with defence, allowing more than one goal in a contest just once with O'Neill in charge. Overall, their 24 goals allowed is fourth best in the league, behind only Manchester City, Manchester United, and Liverpool.

WIGAN vs EVERTON, SATURDAY @ 10 AM ET (REPLAY ON SPORTSNET WORLD @ 6 PM ET)

6. How will Everton respond after their biggest win of the season?

On Tuesday, Everton defeated top-of-the-table Manchester City, a win David Moyes called the biggest of his 10 years managing the Everton side. Is a letdown coming?

The club should be bolstered by the deadline day addition of Croatian Nikica Jelavic. The \ forward came from Rangers for a reported 5.5 million pounds and scored 14 times in 22 matches this season.

Jelavic seems to be exactly what is needed for this club. Everton has scored just 23 times this season, tied for 17th in the league. The Toffees haven't scored multiple times in a league match since November.

WEST BROMWICH vs SWANSEA CITY, SATURDAY @ 10 AM ET (REPLAY ON SPORTSNET WORLD @10 PM ET)

7. Something's gotta give!

The league's second-worst home team faces off against the worst road team. West Brom has earned just eight points from 11 home matches, while Swansea has just five points from 11 road contests.

My rudimentary analysis says give the edge to Swansea because of the recent form of their young striker. Scott Sinclair has scored three times since New Year's Eve, and the goals have come against top competition. He has scored in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, a 3-2 win over Arsenal, and a 1-1 draw against Chelsea earlier this week.

NEWCASTLE vs ASTON VILLA, SUNDAY @ 7:30 AM ET (LIVE ON SPORTSNET WORLD)

8. Will this match mark the Newcastle debut of Papiss Cisse?

Demba Ba's countryman comes over to Newcastle from Freiburg where he scored 37 times in 65 Bundesliga appearances. Last season, Cisse finished second in Bundesliga scoring to Bayern's Mario Gomez.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Cisse's Premier League debut: He has been given the legendary number 9, following in the footsteps of Jackie Milburn, Malcolm MacDonald, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, and Alan Shearer. Big shoes to fill.

9. Quick stat: Aston Villa has three fewer losses on the road than at home this season (3-6-2 road record, 3-4-5 home record).

CHELSEA vs MANCHESTER UNITED, SUNDAY @ 11 AM ET (LIVE ON SPORTSNET WORLD)

10. Let's focus on the back lines

It's not too often we turn our attention to the defenders, but the storylines are there on both sides of the ball on Sunday.

For Chelsea, John Terry will not play because of a knee injury, and Ashley Cole is suspended. Gary Cahill is expected to make his much-anticipated Chelsea debut. He came over from Bolton for a reported 7 million pounds.

11. Who will be in net for Manchester United?

It was recently announced that Anders Lindegaard will miss up to six weeks with an ankle injury, and David De Gea sat out United's 2-0 win over Stoke on Tuesday with an illness. De Gea is expected to play on Sunday, but we could also see 21-year old Ben Amos, who played in that win against Stoke.

The coming stretch marks a critical stage for De Gea. The next six weeks of league play include matches against Chelsea (this weekend), Liverpool (Feb. 11), at Norwich (Feb. 26), and at Spurs (Mar. 4).

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Chris Black is a feature producer and statistician for Sportsnet. Follow Chris on Twitter.