Image source, Getty Images

There are clearly no hard feelings between Newcastle United goalkeepers Aaron Ramsdale and Nick Pope.

Pope has come back into the side for the first time in more than a month after recovering from injury and illness.

Ramsdale has lost his place, as a result, but he has just given his team-mate a double thumbs up after Pope finished his warm-up here at Turf Moor ahead of the game against Burnley.

It's a big night for Pope and Newcastle.

The visitors have not kept a clean sheet in the league since October and that record has to change quickly if this travel sick side are to finally pick up results on the road.

Ellen White
Former England striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

On Rice being the most difficult player for Arsenal to succeed without:

I think so, yes. You look at his impact in both boxes, his set piece delivery, the precision, free kicks and corners, his presence, it's hard to replace. He just rises to the occasion all the time. And his work rate is unbelievable. He is really, really hard to replace.

Dion Dublin
Former Aston Villa and Man Utd striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

Rice is the captain really isn't he? Well if he's not now he is going to be for many, many years to come when the armband is available.

He's the one that the players around in that side listen to, they listen to him most.

Alex Howell
BBC Sport Arsenal reporter at Emirates Stadium

This is just the fourth Premier League match that Declan Rice has missed for Arsenal since signing for the club in 2023.

In good news for Arsenal fans, the Gunners are unbeaten in all three of those games.

There's going to need to be a big performance of the midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard.

Ask Me Anything

Image source, Getty Images

Eagled-eyed fans of Premier League clubs will have spotted that their team is playing a club this midweek that they have already faced this season.

At the midway point in the campaign, each team will still have one opponent left that they have not met.

Aston Villa face league leaders Arsenal for a second time in the first half of the season, despite not yet facing Nottingham Forest.

Premier League sides will instead play the remaining team that they have not faced at the weekend in round 20.

The league does this type of scheduling to create a better overall home and away sequence of fixtures across the season.

The Premier League also stays in regular contact with clubs regarding scheduling and it also helps satisfy various date requests that clubs may have.

Read more in our full explainer here

Simon Stone
BBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter at Old Trafford

Joshua Zirkzee starts for Manchester United as Mason Mount misses out through injury.

Mount’s absence means Ruben Amorim is without eight senior players for tonight’s game due to a combination of injury and international calls.

Teenage striker Chido Obi is named on the bench for the first time this season. Tyrell Malacia is United’s only outfield substitute over the age of 20.

Manchester United XI: Lammens, Dalot, Heaven, Martinez, Shaw, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu, Zirkzee, Cunha, Sesko. Substitutes: Bayindir, Malacia, Yoro, Chido Obi, Fredricson, J Fletcher, T Fletcher, Lacey, Mantato.

Jhon Arias and Jackson Tchatchoua come in for Andre and Santiago Bueno for the visitors.

Wolves are on an awful run of 12 successive defeats.

Their last away win came at Old Trafford in April, since when they have got one point in 11 games on their travels.

Wolves XI: Jose Sa, Mosquera, Tchatchoua, Krejci, Doherty, Arias, Joao Gomes, H Bueno, Mane, Hwang Hee-chan, Arokodare. Substitutes: Johnstone, Moller-Wolfe, Strand Larsen, Hoever, Fer Lopez, Gonzalez, Ojinnaka, Olagunju, Sutherland.

Steve Crossman
BBC Radio 5 Live presenter

Aston Villa are looking for a 12th straight win in all competitions - that would be the longest winning run since the club came into existence in 1874.

Clinton Morrison
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live at Emirates Stadium

Aston Villa have come a long way and that is down to Unai Emery. The second best manager there is in the Premier League behind Pep Guardiola. I hold him in such high esteem, he's fantastic. For them to be in the title equation at this time of the season is fantastic.

Image source, Getty Images

While Newcastle boss Eddie Howe manages against his former club Burnley, Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka faces the club he served for seven years.

The Slovakia stopper, 36, made 162 Premier League appearances for the Magpies between 2018 and February this year.

Dubravka, who is on the cover of the match programme tonight, has three top-flight clean sheets this season.

Howe was in charge of the Clarets for 21 months between January 2011 and October 2012 before leaving to take charge of Bournemouth.

Meanwhile, Burnley boss Scott Parker spent two years in Newcastle's midfield between 2005-07.

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche: "It's a strange one when you don't win a game but the momentum from the performance [against Manchester City] is important, and we want to build on that performance tonight."

On starting Oleksandr Zinchenko in place of Nicolo Savona: "Sav's done great but we're giving him a break for a very experienced player."

On the importance of winning tonight's game: "We were two points in there [the bottom three] and now we're five points out, so we want to build on that. It's an important game - but they all are."

Clinton Morrison
Former Premier League striker on BBC Radio 5 Live at Emirates Stadium

On Declan Rice's absence for Arsenal tonight:

It's a huge blow. When I heard that on my way here I thought, 'that is the one player that they can't do without'. Especially in a game like this, Timber will be back so Rice would have gone back into midfield, Villa are quite strong in midfield and that is where you need those powerful runners. Odegaard and Zubimendi take the ball ever so well but you need players like Rice.

Image source, Getty Images

Alex Howell
BBC Sport Arsenal reporter at Emirates Stadium

Jurrien Timber comes back into the side after missing the win over Brighton. Gabriel also starts after returning from injury in the same game. There's also a huge boost as Kai Havertz is named on the bench for Arsenal.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Merino, Odegaard, Trossard, Saka, Gyokeres

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Lewis-Skelly, Norgaard, Madueke, Havertz, Eze, Martinelli, Jesus, White

Unai Emery makes five changes to the side that beat Chelsea last time out. Ollie Watkins starts after his two goals from the bench in that win. There's no Matty Cash or Boubacar Kamara who miss out through suspension.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Konsa, Lindelof, Digne, Bogarde, Onana, Tielemans, Rogers, Sancho, Buendia, Watkins

Subs: Bizot, Wright, McGinn, Garcia, Malen, Jimoh-Aloba, Maatsen, Hemmings, Routh

Chris Sutton
Former Premier League striker on Sky Sports

Chelsea have struggled with forming relationships at the back this season, but that has been due to players like Wesley Fofana being unable to play three games in a week.

But football is a team game and Enzo Maresca enjoys utilising all of his squad.

They have slipped behind Liverpool now though, so this is a massive game for him tonight. He will be looking for a result to get the fans back on side, against a Bournemouth team who are in freefall.

Newcastle United

Image source, Reuters

Yoane Wissa's first Premier League start for Newcastle comes four months after his £55m move to the north east from Brentford.

It's been a frustrating time for Wissa, who picked up an injury soon after joining.

But, with the games coming thick and fast, he gets the nod ahead of Nick Woltemade.

Will Wissa mark the occasion with a goal?

Alan Shearer
Former Premier League striker on Match of the Day

Image source, Getty Images

We are nearly halfway through the season and you have to say that Aston Villa are genuine title contenders. Do I think they'll win it? No, but that is purely because the depth of their squad isn't quite there.

But anything is possible under Unai Emery.

His game management is superb as he showed yet again with his three subs at Stamford Bridge. They weren't in the game in the first half, but the introduction of Ollie Watkins, Jadon Sancho and Amadou Onana was inspired. His team just does not know when they are beaten."

Sophie Brown
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Chelsea are fifth but lie 13 points behind Arsenal, and have six points fewer than they did at this stage of last season.

Home form has been costing them, and the defeat at Stamford Bridge by Aston Villa at the weekend – which came despite them dominating the visitors for the first hour – means Chelsea have already lost three home league games this season, having only lost two in the whole of 2024-25.

In all three, they have gone 1-0 up - a worrying trend for the Blues, who have dropped 11 points from winning positions at home this season, which is more than any other side.

In fact, it is twice as many as the majority of top-flight clubs. Perhaps most tellingly, the four clubs above them in the table – Arsenal, Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool – have not dropped any.

BBC Radio 5 Live

5 Live have reporters at all six games tonight with Steve Crossman presenting around-the-grounds coverage.

Their coverage starts in the next few minutes.

Listen as well at the top of this page and on BBC Sounds.