Manchester City

Final words from Pep Guardiola on opposition Chelsea: "It's an exceptional team in all departments. One of the toughest games we have until the end of the season.

“They’re [Chelsea] playing really good.

"They have everything; intense, quality. Most teams are defined if they are not able to lose the ball and it's difficult to find a player who can lose the ball."

Image source, BBC Sport

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Manchester City

Man City boss Pep Guardiola on the title race: "We just need to win our games. When we arrive with eight or nine games [towards the end of the season] we will see how many teams will be involved.

"It doesn’t matter if there are two, three or four, we just need to do our job."

BBC Sport has a dedicated Manchester City page packed with news, analysis and fan views - get it here

Image source, BBC Sport

Cole Palmer is back at Etihad Stadium with Chelsea but it might be asking too much for him to have the same impact against his old club as when they drew 4-4 with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge and he stuck away an injury-time penalty.

I think Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola made a mistake letting Palmer leave, but this game is only going to end one way - a Chelsea defeat.

City are just too good. They have got so many good players, and more to come off the bench. Jack Grealish's injury against FC Copenhagen was a blow but they had Jeremy Doku to come on, who is a nightmare to play against.

Chelsea gave it a real go in that draw in November, but the defending champions have gone up a notch or two since then, while Mauricio Pochettino's side keep going up and down.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the rest of Chris Sutton's Premier League predictions for this weekend's games here...

Manchester City

More on available players to face Chelsea, from Pep Guardiola: "Bernardo we will asses in today's training session. Mateo [Kovacic] is back in training, Sergio [Gomez] as well - the rest we will see."

Alex Howell
BBC Sport

Roy Hodgson is doing well after being taken ill in training yesterday. The 76-year-old was unwell during the session at the training ground yesterday and his press conference was cancelled. Hodgson’s well-being is the club’s main focus but It’s understood that the club are also working through the possible succession plans. Oliver Glasner is the strong favourite to take the club and it’s understood that a deal for him to take over is close.

Manchester City

Man City's Pep Guardiola, on Cole Palmer's return to the Etihad: "Good player. Like it has happened [having strong form for Chelsea]? Yes I didn’t have any doubts about it.

"He is a star player and is already an exceptional player and moved on.

"A lovely lad and he helped us achieve what we achieved."

Image source, Getty Images

Cole Palmer has admitted it will be "a weird feeling" going back to Manchester City with Chelsea.

Saturday's fixture is the first time the 21-year-old will return to Etihad Stadium since moving to west London on the final day of the summer transfer window.

Palmer, who came through the City academy, cost the Blues an initial £40m with an additional £2.5m in possible add-ons.

Despite an inconsistent season from Mauricio Pochettino's side, the England international has consistently stood out and with 12 goals he leads Chelsea's scoring charts.

"I have been surprised by how well it's gone here so quickly, but I always back myself to succeed," Palmer said on the club's website, external. "I'm looking forward to going back to the Etihad. It will be strange, a weird feeling, but I'm looking forward to it and the team's looking forward to it.

"I'm very excited to be honest, even though it will be strange.

"Obviously I played against them at Stamford Bridge, but I think going back to the Etihad will be even stranger."

When the teams met at Stamford Bridge in November, they produced a remarkable 4-4 draw in which Palmer equalised from the penalty spot in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The midfielder's form this season has catapulted him into contention for a place in England's Euro 2024 squad this summer.

"When I made the decision to come down here with my family it was a really tough decision to leave," said Palmer, who joined City at the age of eight and began the season by scoring for them in the Community Shield and Super Cup final.

"But I felt like I was ready to play week in, week out and showcase my ability.

"So thank you to the club and everyone who has supported me.

"It's down to the manager [Pochettino] giving me the freedom, the club giving me the opportunity and the lads, who have been great with me since I came in.

"I've settled fast and I am enjoying it here."

Everything Chelsea in one place – bookmark the page or if you’re using the app hit the bell icon for club notifications

Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Jack Grealish's return: "All I know he is not available tomorrow."

Image source, Getty Images

That's three Premier League press conferences ticked off today, but we have more to come.

Next up is Pep Guardiola and Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

Plenty to talk about as we approach matchday 25 this weekend - business time of the year!

Liverpool

Diogo Jota like his manager has also picked up a personal accolade as he is awarded the Premier League player of the month for January 2024.

It is the first time the Portuguese forward has been awarded the prize in his career.

Appearing in all three of Liverpool's Premier League games in January, the 27-year-old scored three and assisted two.

Jota is only the second Liverpool player to win the award this season after Mohamed Salah's success in October.

Liverpool

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on whether Harvey Elliott has been knocking on his door about not nailing down a starting spot. "No, Harvey is not doing that, but we have had talks anyway. But with Harvey you forget how young he is. He's had injuries. Young players go through different moments in the early days of their career - flying, not flying, working hard - not him, but all young players in general. It's completely normal. Harvey has been incredibly important and I'm sure he knows that.

"Is it that he wishes to start every game? Yes. probably, but when he has come on he is brilliant, when he has started it's not the same. It's not a problem. He's young - it's not like for the rest of his career he'll be a 'supersub' or what the public call him. Learn the game, understand your game, use your skillset to get better and better. There is a lot he is doing well and there is more he can do. Of course there is a lot of potential in him. He is a joy to work with. It is absolutely exceptional how he has trained this week. You can see the best thing to inject in a player is confidence and that comes with goals and assists."

Everything Liverpool in one place – bookmark the page or if you’re using the app hit the bell icon for club notifications

Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has been awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for January 2024.

Klopp announced he would be leaving Liverpool in January and he helped lead the Reds to three wins in three Premier League games.

The German last won the accolade in May 2021 and only Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola have won the accolade more times in the history of the Premier League.

Liverpool

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the threat posed by Brentford in attack: "It is super tricky there, the way they play and set it up. With or without [Ivan] Toney it makes [no] difference. All the guys back from AFCON makes a difference. Maupay form makes a difference. they are well organsied, set-piecs, cheeky, rhythm breaks and they are good at set-pieces which they want. That's how it is.

"How can you play Brentford for 90 minutes without conceding a set-piece? That's not possible in football. But they are more than just set-pieces. They are compact They are well coached and the atmosphere the stadium creates is really good.

"But saying all that, where we want to be this season, we have to be on top of our game. We have to be the team where they think in a similar way about us. That's exactly the way we have to approach it. I am fine with the resilience we have showed recently. Arsenal a dip, yes, but we showed determination against Burnley dealing with a difficult situation within the squad, I really liked it a lot. We have to be at our best to win at Brentford. It's a smart coached team."

On facing a team with two strikers: "It's not that rare. That's not the problem. The problem is the balls you play to Toney and how he can, not sure deflecting is the right word, but bring it into the next player, their second-ball game is second to none. Toney is really difficult using his body these situations. It's super difficult to get on the ball. If you get on the ball and Toney goes down, then they get a free-kick. That's the situation. It's very smart what they do, and it's exactly what I would do. It's very smart and it keeps them for years and the next year in the Premier League. That's probably what Brentford want. The two striker thing is not a problem but there are plenty of others."

Image source, BBC Sport

Brentford have scored three goals in each of their past two home games against Liverpool, and I can see them giving the Reds more problems this time too.

Arsenal and Manchester City have both had to fight hard to get away wins against the Bees this season, and Jurgen Klopp's side need to do the same to stay on top of the Premier League.

It won't be easy for them, though. I was at Anfield for 5 live last week to see Liverpool beat Burnley, but they weren't very convincing in that game and I'd give Brentford a real chance of taking at least a point here.

Liverpool have been stretched by injuries recently and Trent Alexander-Arnold's latest knee problem is another blow, but Joe Gomez can cover at right-back, plus Conor Bradley is back in training. Mohamed Salah is getting back to full fitness too and might even feature on Saturday.

MoSalah's return would be a huge boost and will increase Liverpool's firepower, but their attack is very strong even without him and I think that is what will get them over the line here.

I am going with my heart over my head, really, because I'd like to see a close title race and Liverpool need to keep winning to keep City at bay.

Sutton's prediction:1-2

Read the rest of Chris Sutton's Premier League predictions for this weekend's games here...

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on whether Dominik Szoboszlai will be fit for the EFL Cup final against Chelsea on 25 February: "It's a super intense period. People think now about the final, absolutely, but before that we have Brentford and Luton, I'm not thinking a second about the final yet. It's a final, yes, one game, but there are two games they cannot play.

"With Dom it will be around that time [the final] we will see how that exactly how works. With Trent maybe a week or two longer so it's not great. I would say not sure if Dom has a chance for the final, but maybe. Trent will be after."

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on news former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will join a Liverpool Legends management team for a charity game at Anfield against Ajax Legends in March.

Eriksson, 75, revealed in January that he has "best case a year" to live after being diagnosed with cancer. The Swede also said he was a Reds fan and had "always wished to be the manager of Liverpool".

Klopp said: "Great news. Absolutely great. I was always convinced it would work out some way. This is now really nice. A legend coaches legends. It's really cool. I have never been here when the legends team played but I know they use everything.

"So everyone who is involved in the organisation tries to make it great as possible. All the guys who show enjoy it. Now with Sven here with that experience on the bench they should play a good game. I am really happy Sven will have that opportunity. It's a good place to come."

Image source, BBC Sport

The obvious thing to do this week if you own Erling Haaland and if you still have your triple captain chip is to combine the two for Manchester City's home games against Chelsea and Brentford.

The real question is why wouldn't you do this?

It's true that City are likely to have another double gameweek later in the season but you can't guarantee that Haaland will be fit by then or that the desire to start him in every game will still be there in a tight title race like we have at the moment.

It may be that you think there are genuinely better candidates for the triple captaincy - Chris Sutton put the case for Darwin Nunez in this week's Fantasy 606 podcast for Liverpool's double this week away to Brentford and at home to Luton.

Time for triple captain? Listen to Fantasy 606

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the rest of his injured players: "Ibou [Ibrahima Konate] is not suspended any more, Joe [Gomez] is fit again, Conor [Bradley] is back, Alisson [Becker] is back, so that's that's positive. Thiago is a no."

Liverpool

Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on Trent Alexander-Arnold's injury: "A thing we have to clairfy a bit. I was not really aware of it, but I got the news that there was a discussion we might have 'forced' Trent back because of two setbacks. Nobody wants that and nobody is doing that. Different cases, different scenarios and as long as I am here we will not force anybody back and never do.

"But we work in a high-performance area. We always try to catch the earliest moment. Unfortunately when we catch that early moment nobody speaks about that. The last decision is always with the player, but if you always listen to the player they would play after two weeks and it's a real problem.

"The boys were in the moment when they played. They were fit. But the situation told us differently because it happened again. Very unlucky and unfortunate, but it can happen. We have to bring the boys back as soon possible but never before they are ready."