Everton

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Everton manager David Moyes has been speaking before his side's match at Nottingham Forest.

Moyes says midfielder Jack Grealish is still suffering from the illness which caused him to miss the draw with Burnley, but he has had no choice but to include him in the squad because of a lack of options.

"Honestly, we don't have an awful lot [of options] to make changes," said Moyes.

"Jack is on the bench but he shouldn't be, he is still ill. We may have to use him but, if I had it my way, he wouldn't be on the bench at all."

On facing Forest after beating tonight's opponents 3-0 earlier in December: "It was a great result for us at home. We know their strengths and they have a good squad."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport Chief Football News Reporter at Old Trafford

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It is amazing to think when Wolves beat Manchester United at Old Trafford in April, they were recording a fifth successive top flight win for the first time since 1970 and then manager Vitor Pereira was still able to celebrate by having a beer at a local pub to Molineux with the fans.

Wolves have not won an away game since.

They have lost 19 of their last 22 Premier League games across two seasons - and are bottom of the table with two points, 16 from safety, and, regardless of what happens tonight, look certain to drop back into the Championship after eight years at the elite level.

Newcastle United

In a Premier League packed with players from around the world, Newcastle start with five English players - Nick Pope, Lewis Hall, Lewis Miley, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes - at Turf Moor.

Seven of their nine substitutes are also English - Jacob Murphy, Joe Willock, Aaron Ramsdale, Jacob Ramsey, Leo Shahar, Sean Neave and Sam Alabi.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at the City Ground

It may not be the night's most glamourous game but it feels crucial for Nottingham Forest.

Victory would move them just four points behind mid-table Everton but crucially could extend the five point advantage over the relegation zone.

There has been an air of calm since Sean Dyche arrived at the City Ground two months ago - after the chaotic start to the season under Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou - but that changes with a glance at the table.

Forest are still in trouble in 17th despite Dyche's strong start - winning seven of his 14 games in all competitions - and victory against the Toffees could be a game which is looked back on at the end of the season as key.

Ask Me Anything

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While four players will miss this round of midweek matches three suspension, a total of 39 players are currently one yellow card away from a suspension.

Should those players avoid getting a caution in these game week, the number of cards needed to pick up a ban for yellow cards is 10.

Read more in our full explainer here

Ciaran Kelly
BBC Sport reporter at St James' Park

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We may only be approaching the halfway point of the season, but this feels like a huge game for both Burnley and Newcastle United.

Burnley have stopped the rot of late, following successive draws against Everton and Bournemouth.

But Scott Parker’s side remain six points from safety, and have to start picking up wins sooner rather than later.

“We’re fighters,” Parker writes in his defiant programme notes.

“We’ve got a great spirit and we will be giving everything to the cause between now and the end of the season."

Fourteenth-placed Newcastle, meanwhile, desperately need a result at Turf Moor, having only won once on their travels since mid-April in the Premier League.

2025 has been a momentous year for Eddie Howe’s side after they ended a seven-decade wait to win a major domestic trophy and qualified for the Champions League.

But their patchy form in recent months means they simply have to end the year on a high.

Arsenal have the opportunity to end 2025 five points clear at the top.

That's because nearest rivals Manchester City are not in action.

There are six fixtures tonight, with the other four on Thursday - New Year's Day - before another round of games on Saturday and Sunday.

And if that's not enough, there is a full Premier League programme next midweek, with games taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

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Nottingham Forest have gradually pulled away from trouble since Sean Dyche's appointment in October, but the former Everton boss will be desperately hoping his side can bounce back from back-to-back defeats to further ease their relegation concerns.

Responding to their 3-0 loss at Everton little over three weeks ago with a 3-0 win over Tottenham, Forest have since suffered narrow losses to Fulham and Manchester City to leave them five points above the bottom three.

This has not been a fixture which Forest have enjoyed since returning to the Premier League, winning just one of their past seven matches against Everton.

And Dyche has not had anything to celebrate in his final fixture of the calendar year over recent seasons, losing his final Premier League match with Burnley in 2021, Everton in 2023 and Nottingham Forest in 2024.

Order these entries by "most popular" and surprisingly it is the earlier pigeon on a pitch entry that is the most popular so far tonight, so here's another.

This time our pigeon friend appears to be getting in the zone before taking a penalty.

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Ciaran Kelly
BBC Sport reporter at Turf Moor

Burnley defender Maxime Esteve returns to the starting line-up as manager Scott Parker makes three changes for the visit of Newcastle United.

The Frenchman is fit to start after missing the draws against Everton and Bournemouth with a knock.

Loum Tchaouna and Florentino also come into the side.

Burnley starting line-up: Dubravka, Walker, Ekdal, Laurent, Esteve, Pires, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Edwards, Broja, Tchaouna

Subs: Weiss, Bruun Larsen, Anthony, Humphreys, Sonne, Tresor, Banel, Barnes, Pimlott

Goalkeeper Nick Pope lines up against his former club as Newcastle make four changes for the trip to Turf Moor.

Pope has been handed his first start in a month after recovering from illness and a groin injury.

Joelinton, Harvey Barnes and Yoane Wissa are also recalled following the 1-0 defeat against Manchester United last week.

Newcastle starting line-up: Pope, Miley, Schar, Thiaw, Hall, Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton, Barnes, Wissa, Gordon

Subs: Ramsdale, J.Murphy, Woltemade, Willock, A.Murphy, Ramsey, Shahar, Neave, Alabi

Nuno Espirito Santo makes just the one change to the West Ham side that lost 1-0 to Fulham on Saturday, with Callum Wilson replacing Crysencio Summerville in attack.

West Ham XI: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo, Kilman, Scarles, Magassa, Potts, Fernandes, Paqueta, Wilson, Bowen.

Subs: Hermansen, Summerville, Mavropanos, Rodriguez, Soucek, Earthy, Kante, Golambeckis, Mayers.

Fabian Hurzeler makes four changes following Brighton's 2-1 defeat to Premier League leaders Arsenal at the weekend.

Joel Veltman, Yankuba Minteh, Danny Welbeck and James Milner all come in, with Diego Coppola, Jack Hinshelwood, Brajan Gruda and Georginio Rutter dropping to the bench.

Milner, who turns 40 next week, is making his second Premier League start of the season.

Kaoru Mitoma missed Saturday's game to Arsenal through illness but is fit enough to start on the bench. Solly March is not quite ready to return from a knee injury.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Dunk, Van Hecke, Veltman, Kadioglu, Ayari, Milner, De Cuyper, Minteh, Gomez, Welbeck.

Subs: Steele, Gruda, Rutter, Hinshelwood, Watson, Boscagli, Mitoma, Coppola, Kostoulas.

Chelsea change about half the team who lost 2-1 at home to Aston Villa. Marc Cucurella was an injury doubt, and he misses out - with the Blues changing three of their back four. Liam Delap and Estevao replace Joao Pedro and Pedro Neto further up the field.

Bournemouth make six changes after their 4-1 loss at Brentford. Among them are Evanilson replacing Junior Kroupi up front.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Acheampong, Caicedo, Fernandez, Palmer, Estevao, Garnacho, Delap.

Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Neto, Gittens, Santos, Pedro, James, Buonanotte.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Truffert, Senesi, Hill, Jimenez, Scott, Brooks, Tavernier, Semenyo, Kluivert, Evanilson.

Subs: Dennis, Araujo, Soler, Smith, Diakite, Adli, Kroupi, Unal, Rees-Dottin.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter at the City Ground

Sean Dyche makes made one change to the Nottingham Forest side which lost 2-1 to Manchester City on Saturday.

Arsenal loanee Oleksandr Zinchenko replaces Nicolo Savona, who drops to the bench.

Nottingham Forest XI: John Victor, Williams, Murillo, Milenkovic, Zinchenko, Anderson, Dominguez, Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson, Jesus

Subs: Sels; Morato, Awoniyi, Douglas Luiz, Kalimuendo, McAtee, Bakwa, Savona, Abbott.

David Moyes makes three changes for Everton's trip to the City Ground

Nathan Patterson and Merlin Rohl make their first starts of the season while Thierno Barry returns to the starting line up.

Michael Keane and Charly Alcaraz are missing from the squad while Beto is among the substitutes along with Jack Grealish, who has recovered from a virus to make the bench after missing the weekend's 0-0 draw at Burnley.

Everton XI: Pickford, Patterson, Tarkowski, O'Brien, Mykolenko, Garner, Iroegbunam, Dibling, Rohl, McNeil, Barry

Subs: Travers, King, Welch, Grealish, Campbell, Graham, Beto, Aznou, Bates

Here's a pigeon on a pitch.

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Team news will drop imminently. Here's a reminder of who is playing who tonight - I hope your club badge knowledge is on point!

Alex Howell
BBC Sport Arsenal reporter at Emirates Stadium

There's the usual column with Martin Odegaard in the Arsenal matchday programme.

And today, he lists the reasons why Aston Villa are a good side and then goes on to say that Morgan Rogers is a player he enjoys watching.

Odegaard goes onto say that Rogers has been "really good" this season and that Arsenal have to be "careful" of him tonight.

Luke Edwards
Daily Telegraph writer on Football Daily

Aston Villa have a very settled squad because they didn't do a lot of business in the summer.

They have done something very similar to what Newcastle United did last season, when they didn't sign anyone in the summer and kept a settled group who knew each other inside-out.

We are coming up to the halfway point of the season, so we have to start drawing up conclusions, and I have to say Aston Villa are the in-form team in the Premier League.