Week 7 Premier League Preview: Magnificent Martial, Dastardly Diego stirring emotions

Is Anthony Martial the real deal, or just a flash in the pan?

Two matches, three excellent goals for Manchester United's teenage striker. The comparisons to Thierry Henry are certainly premature, but the young Frenchman has displayed he has silky smooth dribbling abilities and a certain calmness in front of goal reminiscent of the Arsenal legend.

With United's struggles in front of goal prior to his arrival, Martial's contributions are rightly being heralded, but are we just being treated to a brief period where opposition defenses don't know what to expect, or will he continue to bang in the goals for the Red Devils?

How will a retrospective ban for Diego Costa affect Chelsea?

News coming from the FA today has the Chelsea striker being charged with violent conduct following his antics in Saturday's 2-0 victory over Arsenal. Following a tussle with Laurent Koscielny, Costa and Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista got involved in an additional physical and verbal altercation that led to a red card for Paulista.

Following a review of the incident, both teams have been charged with failing to control their players, while both Costa and Paulista face additional charges. With Costa almost certain to receive a ban (likely to be 3 matches), Jose Mourinho will be left with a decision of whether to start Radamel Falcao or Loic Remy up top. Will either striker be able to help the Blues build off of their victory in Week 6, or will we see a return to their struggles next weekend?

After the draw against Norwich, is it time up for Brendan Rodgers?

The calls for patience at Liverpool are becoming more and more scarce as the Reds have struggled to put points on the board over the opening 6 weeks of the season. With so much faith being put in Brendan Rodgers by Liverpool's owners, Fenway Sports Group, including control in the transfer market, the Northern Irishman is on a hot seat that must now be close to scalding. While he will point to an encouraging return to action for Daniel Sturridge, a first goal for Danny Ings, a return to fitness for Mamadou Sakho and a fantastic showing from Alberto Moreno, the fact remains that Liverpool yet again headed to the Anfield dressing room without the 3 points. How much longer can FSG afford to stand behind their manager before cutting ties?

What will it take for Sunderland & Newcastle to turn it around?

Promising starts for each of the newly-promoted clubs is a bad sign for the Black Cats and Magpies, who are anchoring the Premier League table with just 2 points apiece through 6 matches. Neither squad seems to have the quality in place to make drastic improvements before the January transfer window, but are there any signs of life to take positives from heading into the winter months?

The next couple weeks won't be easy for either side, with Newcastle facing Chelsea and Man City and Sunderland taking on United and West Ham, but the fixtures ease up a bit for both teams after week 8. Do they have what it takes to climb out of the relegation zone by New Years, or will heavy reinforcements be needed in January to give them a chance of staying up? Perhaps both?

Which team will pull off a surprise result in Week 7?

We've seen West Ham continue their giant-slaying with a victory over league-leaders Manchester City, along with promising results for Watford FC and Norwich City. The fixture list for the upcoming week presents some opportunities for underdog upsets, as well. Will Tottenham Hotspur make it 3 straight defeats for Man City? Can Sunderland stop the rot against a resurgent Man United? Can Aston Villa rebound with a victory over Liverpool?

Weigh in with your thoughts on these questions and any other talking points in the comments below. We're always eager to hear as many opinions and thoughts as possible, and love seeing new names joining in on the conversation!