Key events
The Manchester City players will wear black armbands tonight in tribute to the legendary Tony Book, their former captain and manager, who has died aged 90.
There’s no Kyle Walker in the Man City squad. Here’s Jonathan Liew on why the career of one of England’s greatest right-backs is ripe for reappraisal.
Based on media footprint alone, Walker might well be one of the most chronicled English footballers of the past decade, and largely for issues unrelated to anything he did in a defensive transition. Search the internet for this player of 93 England caps and pretty much every medal at club level and you will be deluged with various keyword-rich morsels of celebrity gossip swimming in pound signs, house prices and gigantic photos ripped from Instagram.
Nottingham Forest v Liverpool team news
No surprises in either team for the top-of-the-table clash. Barry Glendenning has all the details.
West Ham v Fulham team news
Graham Potter makes three changes from the FA Cup defeat at Aston Villa. Emerson Palmieri, Carlos Soler and Guido Rodriguez in; Ollie Scarles and the injured pair of Niclas Fullkrug and Crysensio Summerville are out.
I’ve no idea who will start up front for West Ham, or even what formation they’re playing. Potter has just been asked on TNT Sports whether he can give us a steer. “Not really.”
Fulham’s last Premier League game was a 2-2 draw with Ipswich. Emile Smith Rowe and Andreas Pereira replace Tom Cairney and Issa Diop.
West Ham (possible 4-D-2) Fabianski; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Emerson; Rodriguez; Soucek, Alvarez; Soler; Kudus, Paqueta.
Subs: Foderingham, Cresswell, Coufal, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Irving, Casey, Scarles, Orford.
Fulham (possible 4-2-3-1) Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Bassey, Castagne, Robinson; Lukic, Andreas; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez.
Subs: King, Sessegnon, Diop, Benda, Reed, Rodrigo Muniz, Cairney, Traore, Cuenca.
Referee Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Chelsea v Bournemouth team news
Two changes for Chelsea from their 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park in the last Premier League game. Romeo Lavia and Noni Madueke come in for Malo Gusto and Pedro Neto. That probably means Moises Caicedo will move to right-back.
Bournemouth also make two changes. They’re without Evanilson, which is a blow, and Justin Kluivert is on the bench. David Brooks, who scored a beautiful winner from the bench against Everton, and Tyler Adams come into the side. Antoine Semenyo may play as a falseish nine.
Chelsea (possible 4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Caicedo, Acheampong, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson.
Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Pedro Neto, Joao Felix, Nkunku, James,
Gusto, Guiu, Veiga.
Bournemouth (possible 4-2-3-1) Travers; Hill, Zabarnyi, Huijsen, Kerkez; Cook, Adams; Brooks, Christie, Ouattara; Semenyo.
Subs: Dennis, Kluivert, Jebbison, Adu-Adjei, Akinmboni, Winterburn, Kinsey-Wellings, Sadi, Rees-Dottin.
Referee Robert Jones (Merseyside)
Brentford v Man City team news
Brentford’s last Premier League game was a 5-0 win at Southampton. Thomas Frank makes one change from the XI that started that match: Kevin Schade is replaced by Vitaly Janelt. That could mean a switch to a diamond midfield. If Thomas Frank ever answers my WhatsApps I’ll let mean you.
Pep Guardiola makes one change from the last league game, the 4-1 win over West Ham. Matheus Nunes, who played so well at right-back against Salford on Saturday, replaces Rico Lewis.
Brentford (possible 4-D-2) Flekken; Roerslev, Collins, van den Berg, Lewis-Potter; Norgaard; Jensen, Janelt; Damsgaard; Mbeumo, Wissa.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Henry, Schade, Carvalho, Mee, Yarmolyuk, Konak, Maghoma, Kim.
Man City (possible 4-3-3) Ortega, Nunes, Akanji, Ake, Gvardiol; Bernardo, Kovacic, De Bruyne; Foden, Haaland, Savinho.
Substitutes: Ederson, Grealish, Doku, Gundogan, Simpson-Pusey, Mubama, O’Reilly, Lewis, McAtee.
Referee Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
Preamble
The hustle never ends. Less than 24 hours after the end of the FA Cup third round. The FA Cup third round is still ongoing but the Premier League returns tonight with four matches, all televised. Barry Glendenning is covering the big one – Nottingham Forest v Liverpool – while it is ours to focus on the three other games, all of which kick off at 7.30pm.
Graham Potter takes charge of his first home game as West Ham manager. There’s plenty at stake as always. Manchester City could jump to fourth, a phrase that hasn’t been written too often in the last decade. They could also drop below Bournemouth, a phrase that hasn’t etc. It’s tight towards the top, with only nine points separating Chelsea in fourth and Brentford in 11th. There will be doubtless be more snakes and ladders tonight.
