The key talking points ahead of this weekend’s Premier League fixtures

The Premier League returns this weekend following some exciting midweek action in the FA Cup.

Here, the PA news agency picks out five of the main talking points heading into gameweek 28.

An alarming recent run has led Leeds to drop like a stone and the club to take the difficult decision to end popular Marcelo Bielsa’s highly successful three-and-a-half-year spell in charge. The fact the club spoke immediately about a permanent tribute to the Argentinian underlines just how much the 66-year-old meant around Elland Road, where he ended the club’s long wait for a Premier League return. But the focus now is on injecting new life into their survival hopes, with newly-appointed boss Jesse Marsch heading to Leicester on Saturday lunchtime for his first match in charge. Until recently manager of RB Leipzig, the highly-rated American coach has big shoes to fill at a club that have lost their last four Premier League matches.

The teams in relegation danger have concertinaed in recent weeks due to fluctuations in form and the fact games in hand have finally been played. Just eight points separate bottom-placed Norwich and Newcastle in 14th as the season enters the home straight. Dean Smith’s Canaries are in the most precarious position and have lost three straight league matches, including last Friday’s meek performance at Southampton where they were fortunate to escape with a 2-0 defeat. Saturday sees Smith host former club Brentford, who are in need of a victory themselves having seen a fine start to the season peter out. Thomas Frank’s Bees are 15th and seven points better off than Norwich ahead of the Carrow Road six-pointer.

West Ham have enjoyed quite the season, entering March fifth in the Premier League and with Europa